The next day, at breakfast, Zhao Shijiao said: "The third day of the Lunar New Year is the queen mother's Qianqiu, I have already set a birthday gift, and I can send it later today." ”

"It's the concubine's negligence, I don't know the queen mother, and I didn't prepare for the queen mother."

"You just passed the door, there are many things, you don't have to worry about it, I'm ready."

Zhao Shijiao went out in advance, Shen Wanzhen had breakfast, and lay down on the table to settle the account, Xiuju quietly put a cup of tea on the table, and did not dare to disturb the master.

The accounts of the palace last year were quickly sorted out, Shen Wanzhen sat a little tired, her hands and neck were sore, so she got off the kang and walked out of the east room, in the bright room, a few rough maids were cleaning the window frames, tables and chairs, and the antiques and jade placed on the red sandalwood gold and treasure pavilion, all of them were so busy that they didn't raise their heads and didn't open their eyes, only a maid in the room was holding a rag in her hand, wiping the table without a match, but her eyes didn't know where to drift, with a sad expression, Shen Wanzhen's eyebrows frowned, This maid is the one who was accompanied by her mother, named Shumei, and she renamed her the maid with fragrance.

She heard that this Shumei was very dissatisfied with her name behind her back, and she thought that the word fragrant was vulgar, and she was a maid when she heard it, but it seemed that she still couldn't let go of the young lady's figure, and she didn't work hard, such a person stayed in the palace and didn't make people laugh, and the people in the Shen Mansion didn't understand the rules, Shen Wanzhen said to one of the little maids: "Go and call Yan's mother up." ”

The little maid agreed, and ran down to find Mama Yan.

Mrs. Yan came up, and the maid in the bright room said, "The princess is waiting for her mother in the east room." ”

Mrs. Yan walked into the east room, Shen Wanzhen put down the account book she was looking at, and walked to the top room, Mrs. Yan knew that the master of the road had important words, and she carried people behind her back and didn't speak, so she followed into the east room, and Mrs. Yan closed the door to prevent people in the bright room from hearing.

Shen Wanzhen whispered: "How is that girl named Hanxiang these two days?" Still convinced? ”

Mrs. Yan originally looked at her pitiful, a lady who was reduced to a maid, but she was really unreasonable these days, and she couldn't listen to persuasion, so she had to go back to her master, "The slave looked at Hanxiang, the maid was thoughtful, and she was unwilling to be a slave maid, and she suddenly fell from a young lady to a maid, and she didn't want to be too busy for a while. ”

"There are so many pairs of eyes in the palace, she just can't put herself in the right position, and she still thinks that she is a young lady, she can't stay in the upper room, or transfer her elsewhere, or find someone to marry." Shen Wanzhen originally felt a little pity for her, but seeing that she really didn't have a lot of money in her heart, she couldn't do the thing of selling slaves and maids, and the only way she could think of was to match her with a small servant.

"The old slave looks at her heart, and the little girl in the house may not be willing, the master is light in front of her, she is still unwilling, transferred to another place, and she can't do it, she is accompanied by her wife, and the master is heavy, I am afraid that my wife will be too careful, and it will make people look like the master is dissatisfied with his wife."

What Mama Yan said was also the truth, Shen Wanzhen thought for a moment, and said: "Find someone to match, find a person with a good character for her in the palace, and now she is a maid and a sinful body, and she can only match her with a family, who is willing to marry a maid as a housewife in a big family." ”

"The master is right."

"After the New Year, I will slowly find her a home." Shen Wanzhen is approaching the New Year, and there are many things to do, so I think about it and let it go first.

Mama Yan walked out of the east room, glanced at Hanxiang still standing in place, pulled the table with her hand, and stopped, not moving for a long time, no matter how busy the two girls were, they were stunned.

Mama Yan called her, Hanxiang didn't seem to hear it, she didn't know what to think, Mama Yan called again, and she turned around, "Mom greeted me?" ”

Mama Yan sighed in her heart and said, "You come out with me." ”

Shen Wanzhen went to the room, Mama Yan was in charge of assigning work and restraining people, Hanxiang saw Mama Yan call her, lowered her head, and followed Mama Yan out of the bright room, Mama Yan walked to the corner of the west wing and stopped, and asked with a dark face: "Miss Hanxiang, what are your plans, tell the old slave to listen?" ”

Hanxiang hung her head, chattered for a long time, and said: "I can't do this rough work, my mother pleaded with the master for me, and went back to the room to be a big girl." ”

Mama Yan said angrily: "Don't even think about being a big girl who is close to the master, you can't do rough work, you will be responsible for boiling water in the future, so you don't have to dangle in front of the master." ”

At this time, Zhao Shijiao came back from outside, entered the courtyard, and walked to the upper room, the winter noon sun shone on his big red wisps of gold and colored clouds and satin cranes, overflowing with color and streamer, and the beautiful demeanor made people's eyes bright, vibrating, and adding brilliant colors to the cold and depression of winter.

Hanxiang's eyes were straight, and she followed him until Zhao Shijiao's figure disappeared into the door, the door of the bright room was closed, and she was still staring at the closed door in a daze, and Yan Pozi looked at her, she didn't know it.

Mrs. Yan secretly thought, this girl seems to really can't stay, so she coughed heavily, only realized it with fragrance, retracted her obsessive gaze, and said with a deep face: "The old woman persuaded the girl today, the master is benevolent, and he can't tolerate the big-hearted subordinates, at this time and that time, the girl still retracts her heart and breaks off the obsession, but don't feel uncomfortable, suffer a loss, and have nowhere to cry." ”

Han Xiang's cold little face, obviously didn't listen to Mrs. Yan's words, Mrs. Yan sighed in her heart, looking at her momentum, she didn't hit the south wall and didn't look back, even if she hit the south wall, she didn't necessarily understand it.

Mrs. Yan didn't pay attention to her, and went to the west wing, leaving her alone, Hanxiang glanced at the main room again, and walked to the stove.

Xue Jin took a sedan chair and went directly to the Wu Mansion, General Xue temporarily lived in the Brother-in-law's Mansion, and the Shen Mansion was spacious, so he took out an independent small courtyard and gave it to his family to live in.

Mrs. Xue is happy to live in her sister's house, and the two sisters have chatter.

General Xue went to the court today and was not in the mansion, so Xue Jin went into the back house to meet his aunt's second wife Wu first, and when Wu saw her, he smiled and got up to greet her.

Xue Jin wanted to perform a family salute, but Wu grabbed him and said with a smile: "If you want to talk about the number of courtesies, I should bow to the side concubine." ”

After a humble time, Xue Jin sat down, Wu asked Han Wen, and said, "How is my third aunt and grandmother?" How can you get along with the five girls? ”

She asked Shen Wanzhen this time, and she wanted to say that the Wu family didn't really care about Shen Wanzhen, but she was curious to ask.

Xue Jin pursed her lips and disdained her tone, "The third girl got face in front of the prince, and made the five girls obedient, so that the five girls were laughed at by the people in the palace, and they didn't even dare to come out of the house." ”

The Wu family relieved their hatred, when these five girls Shen Wanzhu were not married, the old man took it as a pearl in his palm, and he was so proud that he was like a princess and princess.

"I'll just say that the third girl is good, and I'm really right." When Wu found out that Xue Jin mentioned Shen Wanzhen, he looked disdainful, so he deliberately praised the third girl for being good, Xue Jin was her sister's concubine, and she was worse than the fifth girl, Shen Wanzhu.

"I heard that my uncle-in-law has been promoted?" Xue Jin also heard that because of Shen Xuanzhen, her father was promoted to one level, and now he is the fourth grade, the same level as his father, and it turned out to be one level lower than his father, Xue Jin is sour.

Wu Shi mentioned this with a smile or not, "Yes! Thanks to the blessing of the three girls. "Heart Dao, in addition to this, I didn't receive the benefits of her one star and a half, people returned to the door in three days, and sent large bags and small bags to her mother's house, the prince was honorable, and even the vulgar gift of returning to the door was exempted, this girl didn't even say anything, she didn't return to the door, she should be rewarded with something to her mother's family, what else can the prince say about you, now she is in the palace housekeeper, it is really her mother's house that has not lost a penny, and she also accompanies a large amount of dowry.

Xue Jin suddenly smelled a smell, as if it was the smell of herbs, and sniffed, "Is my aunt sick?" Why do I smell the boiling medicine. ”

Wu's hesitation, "It's your fourth sister who is sick, and I'm afraid that the big kitchen won't be able to boil the medicine, so I ordered the little maid to boil it in my house, and bring it to your fourth sister to the house after it's boiled." ”

In fact, the Wu family is afraid that people will know more about it, this is a home remedy for Shen Wanyun, and it is a decoction for Shengzi.

"Is the fourth sister here? I'm going to see the fourth sister? ”

"She wasn't there, she went to see the sister born to the sixth aunt." The Wu family was obviously reluctant to let her see Shen Wanyun, and Xue Jin wondered if there must be something hidden here.

After saying goodbye from the upper room, Xue Jin hurriedly went to the small courtyard where Xue Mansion was staying, and first went to the upper room to meet his mother-in-law, Mrs. Xue, although he was unwilling, he couldn't overdo it.

Mrs. Xue looked kind, "Grandma is back, I was still talking to your father just now." ”

Xue Jin smiled faintly, no, she didn't believe that her grandmother could say good things about her, and maybe she told her father that she was not.

"The third girl of your second aunt's family is angry, she became a concubine, and your uncle-in-law has also been promoted, unlike your father, who is still a fourth-grade official in Beijing."

This is to blame her for being incompetent, not being able to fight for her father, Xue Jin pinched the handkerchief in her hand and twisted it, and did not answer, Mrs. Xue looked at her expression, and said in her heart, "I said, the third girl will act as a person when she is a girl, never take it big, and always be kind to people, I think the third girl is not good for nothing, just looking at it will please the man like this case, it is not stronger than anything, what does a woman's family want, no matter how high the heart is, it is only eight buckets high, and the man is not necessarily favored, and in the end he will harm himself." ”

Mrs. Xue almost pointed at her nose and said to her, Mrs. Xue has always been unaccustomed to her father spoiling her, hating her mother and daughter for squeezing her mother and son, General Xue is coarse, does not distinguish between right and wrong, and is blindly used to concubines and mothers and daughters.

Xue Jin couldn't wait to tear the handkerchief in his hand and stood up, "I'll go to my aunt's house." He didn't salute, turned around and left.

Mrs. Xue looked at this uneducated and disrespectful concubine, and she was so angry that her heart was blocked.

Xue Jin went to Aunt Pan's house, Aunt Pan called the maid five or six times in the morning, saying that the girl had come back a long time ago, and when the lady went to the room, she thought that the girl was about to arrive, so she hurriedly asked the maid to load a plate of snacks and wait for the girl to come back to eat.

Xue Jin didn't say a word as soon as he entered the door, sat on the edge of the kang with his ass, and didn't speak.

Aunt Pan was confused for a while, "Who is the girl angry about, didn't she beat the lady in the house, and what did the lady say unpleasantly?" ”

Xue Jin pulled the embroidered handkerchief twice, and said indignantly: "What to say, just say that the third girl of the second aunt's family is good, she is a concubine, and her father is promoted to a higher level, and I complain that I didn't give my father a long face and play with the official." ”

Speaking of it, Aunt Pan said: "What did Mrs. say, I didn't tell you, don't bother with her, the master is in charge of everything, and it is not her turn to dictate in this family." "Aunt Pan is spoiled and delicate, she doesn't take Mrs. in her eyes, and she only knows how to talk to the master.

Aunt Pan remembered that she hadn't said anything serious, and whispered, "Have you waited for the prince?" ”

Xue Jin bit her lip and shook her head, Aunt Pan was annoyed, "What is this saying, men are eating in the bowl and looking at the pot, isn't the prince?" The prince is not a man? ”

Aunt Pan didn't believe that with her own girl's appearance, she couldn't win a man's heart.

"The prince now has three girls in his heart alone, and he can't see anything else." Xue Jin remembered that her self-esteem had been greatly hurt, and if her mother knew the truth, she might not be able to laugh at it.

"By the way, I told the girl, I heard that the third girl was divorced in the past, when the Shen family was in Shandong in the past, she was engaged, and then somehow let people quit, when she married the second son of Zhan, the three girls were seventeen years old, what kind of family is the Shen family, her father also worked as a governor, and the third girl looks good, how can she wait until she is old to get married?"

"Who did my aunt listen to? It can't be a rumor, right? The fifth girl of the Shen family never said that her sister had ever divorced. Xue Jin became interested, Shen Wanzhen is not only a second marriage, this is a third-hand product, and the prince is still like a treasure.

"I heard what Madame said inadvertently, and I don't know the specifics." Aunt Pan is a little regretful, the girl has been married for half a year, and the prince hasn't even touched her body.

Xue Jin thought in her heart, Shen Wanzhen must have made a big mistake by letting people withdraw from the marriage, and she must ask Shen Wanzhu about this matter, I don't know why, why didn't she say anything about her sister's disgraceful past.

"My aunt knows who the man she is married to?" Xue Jin thought that if he could know who the man was, he would be able to find out the real reason for the divorce.

"I heard that the man's family is from Shandong, and he seems to be a showman." Aunt Pan looked at her daughter and asked, but she was curious, and she didn't take it to heart.

Xue Jin saw that her aunt knew so much about the Dao, so she didn't ask, and when she returned to the palace and asked Shen Wanzhu, she would know the Dao.

"By the way, auntie, I smelled a smell of medicinal soup in my aunt's room, saying that the fourth girl was sick, and the medicine was fried for the fourth girl."

"What's sick? It was the fourth girl and her mother-in-law who had an awkward quarrel because they didn't have children, and went back to their parents' house, and her mother-in-law's family didn't come to pick them up. Aunt Pan looked at no one and whispered.

"Your aunt of the Shen family saw that the sky gave her a prescription to give birth, but her son-in-law didn't come, so she had no choice." Aunt Pan snickered, "Your aunt of the Shen family wants to send her daughter back, I am afraid that her mother-in-law will be more proud, and she will not wait to see the fourth girl in the future. ”

Xue Jin listened to her aunt's enthusiasm for other people's **, and pondered her own affairs.

Wang fu

Shen Wanzhen put together the data on the accounts of the palace last year, listed them according to the clear breakdown, and finally checked the total number, and when she dialed the plate, the jade bracelet on her wrist repeatedly knocked on the table, she was afraid that the jade would be broken, so she withdrew the bracelet, and thought that the wide sleeves were in the way, so she pulled the cuffs high, so it was much neater.

Zhao Shijiao entered the house, she was halfway through the detailed list, she didn't want to give up halfway, and she never stopped.

Zhao Shijiao sat next to her, watching her plan to plate, at noon, the sun was bright, shining brightly in the room, suddenly, he found that she had a shallow scar on her left arm, very light, you can't see it if you don't look closely, Shen Wanzhen's skin is snow-white, the scar is pale pink, just across the blood vessels, he couldn't help but be shocked, looked up at her face, Shen Wanzhen just finished playing at this time, write down the number, and put it away.

She turned her head to see him staring at her with a strange gaze, a little puzzled, "Lord Wang, what's wrong?" ”

Zhao Shijiao grabbed her arm and looked closely, that's right, the scratch was passing through the blood vessels, "Have you committed suicide?" His voice was deep.

Shen Wanzhen guessed that he had misunderstood, thinking that she had committed suicide by cutting her wrists, and it was difficult to say this, so she thought about how to explain it.

"Is it because of him?" Zhao Shijiao didn't mention his name, but Shen Wanzhen knew that he was referring to Zhan Shaoting.

Shen Wanzhen nodded, then lowered her head again, and said a little hard, "Because I don't want to have a round with him." ”

He instantly understood that he actually had doubts in his heart, for fear of arousing her sadness, so he never asked, and besides, it was already in the past, and it didn't matter, if it wasn't for the sudden sight of the scar on her wrist today, which was shocking, he didn't plan to mention it.

This doubt was solved, and he felt a faint pain in his heart, and pulled her around with pity, holding her tightly in his arms, "I won't let you be hurt again." ”

He originally planned to intercede with his mother for the Zhan family, although Shen Xuanzhen did not say a word about the Zhan family's distress, he also considered that she was once the Zhan family, presumably she felt uncomfortable, even if the Zhan family could not restore the title, but the treatment was more generous, it was not impossible, but today he saw that she was hurt, which made his heart ache, and he put down the thought of interceding for the Zhan family.

Shen Mansion

Aunt Zhang just sent away her sister-in-law, sitting on the chair sulking, her brother is now his wife is allowed to come to the house to do things, at the beginning of the pretending to be serious for two days, not after three or five days, it will germinate in a solid state, the town day and the door to eat wine and gamble money, the moon silver is not left, her sister-in-law is grease and powdered on the town day, and the people in the house flirt and scold, her brother only cares about his own pleasure, can not control his mother-in-law, the two of them live a stretched life, the moon silver is not half a month, it is spent out, her sister-in-law often comes to Aunt Zhang here to play the autumn breeze, Aunt Zhang had to help, for fear that the two of them would have an accident that day and implicate herself.

"Auntie, Miss Xue is back home" Aunt Zhang's little girl saw Xue Jin going to the small courtyard where Xue's family lived from a distance, and hurried back to tell her master.

When Aunt Zhang heard this, she remembered that Shen Wanzhu hadn't returned to her parents' house for a few days, and she didn't know whether it was good or bad, and how she got along with the three girls, so she went to Aunt Pan's house.

Aunt Pan saw Aunt Zhang coming over and greeted warmly, "Why is my sister free to come over today, Bao'er is going to school?" ”

Aunt Zhang looked at Xue Jin with a smile, "I heard that my cousin is back to her parents' house, so I'm here to take a look." ”

Aunt Pan gave up her seat, and before Aunt Zhang's ass was firmly seated, she hurriedly asked, "Girl, how are the five girls in our family?" Can you still get along with the three girls? ”

Xue Jin smiled lightly: "My aunt asked the fifth sister herself, so that her sister is obedient, what's wrong?" ”

When Aunt Zhang heard this, she asked anxiously; "Her sister made a fuss?"

"It's hard for me to say this, my aunt will know if you ask your girl."

Aunt Zhang came out of Aunt Pan's house, thinking about letting Shen Wanzhu come to the house, counting the days, and when she returned to her parents' house on the fourth day of the new year, she would be able to see her, and then she would ask carefully and help the girl get an idea.