Snowflakes floated outside the window, embroidered chrysanthemums put on a crimson and gold silk cloak for Shen Wanzhen, Mrs. Qian followed, the Zhou family led the way, and Shang Xiang was locked up in an abandoned empty house in the backyard of Bofu.

The old woman who watched the door looked in through the crack in the door, Shang Xiang sat on the kang, her eyes looked at a certain place, she didn't move, she didn't expect anything to happen, and pulled the lock again, and saw that the lock was strong, so she picked up the key, and just wanted to find a place to take a nap, last night she fought cards, and didn't sleep much all night, and just went out, she saw the second young lady leading people here, and said in her heart, she had to take a step slower, and hurriedly stepped forward and squatted, "Young lady." ”

The Zhou family commanded; "Open the door", the woman took a bunch of keys from her waist and opened the door.

Shang Xiang sat on an old kang with lost eyes, as soon as she was locked in this room, she kept sitting, the place did not move, she heard the door speak, her eyes were fixed on the closed door, as soon as Shen Wanzhen came in, she seemed to be stunned, and her eyes dimmed.

Shen Wanzhen said to the Zhou family who followed: "You go outside and wait for me." ”

followed everyone out, Xiuju walked the last, glanced at Shang Xiang, and then looked at the master, Shen Wanzhen signaled that there was nothing wrong, and she went out uneasily.

The door closed, Shang Xiang shrank and stood up, timidly not daring to look at her, suddenly, 'Gu Dong' knelt down on his knees, kowtowed again and again, and begged, "Young lady is good, save the slave maid, the poison is really not under the slave maid." ”

For a long time, Shang Xiang's head was bleeding, Shen Wanzhen didn't speak, Shang Xiang was even more flustered, his head fell down heavily, and the uneven bluestone floor tiles were dyed with a few wisps of bright red.

Finally, there was a voice overhead, "You get up and speak." ”

Shang Xiang slowly got up, her head hung deeply, and a soft sigh came from the top of her head, Shen Wanzhen's light tone, "You stay in the second room once, we can also be regarded as master and servant, what do you have to say, or what do your parents have to explain." ”

Shang Xiang listened, her eyes straightened, she couldn't hear what the young lady said next, the young lady's voice seemed to echo around the empty area, and for a while, Shang Xiang's mind was chaotic.

"I will take care of your parents, you can go with confidence!" Shang Xiang heard the young lady's last sentence, and raised her head suddenly, her apricot eyes were full of despair, her lips trembled, her legs were weak, and she collapsed to the ground at once.

After Shen Xuanzhen said this, she ignored her and walked straight out.

"Young lady, the slave has something to say." With a trembling, trembling sound, Shen Wanzhen stopped, but did not look back, paused, and made a gesture ready to go out at any time.

"Aunt Ying's pregnancy is fake." Shang Xiang rushed out in despair.

Shen Wanzhen turned around slowly, "The slave and maid have all said, can the young lady not send the slave and maid to see the official?" ”

Shen Wanzhen thought, she is not stupid, "Okay, you say, tell me everything you know, and I will intercede for you in front of the young lady." ”

Shang Xiang explained how to go to Hu San to ask for medicine, and after the matter was prepared, he lowered his head, "The slave is guilty, and she shouldn't help her deceive the master." ”

Shen Wanzhen was not surprised, only snorted coldly, with a mockery in her eyes, "What should I do next?" ”

Shang Xiang knew that the young lady was asking how to fool the fake pregnancy in the future, and now that the matter is now, it can't be hidden, so she told it and said that Aunt Ying wanted to blame the young lady for the miscarriage, but she couldn't find the opportunity, so she kept delaying.

"What a wishful thinking." Shen Wanzhen smiled, turned around and walked out slowly.

Push the door, embroidered chrysanthemum guarded the door, close to the door panel, probably not worried about the master, listen to the movement in the house, as soon as there is a bad, ready to hit the door to enter.

"Change her to a warmer room and get something to eat." Shen Xuanzhen was a little far away, waiting for the Zhou family's way.

The Zhou family heard the master say that he would change the house, and he didn't say how to deal with it, so it seemed that he had to send two people to guard it tonight.

Xiuju has been guarding the door, heard the conversation inside, helped the master to leave here, a little farther away, and asked: "Aunt Ying's fake pregnancy, when will the master tell Mrs. ”

"I don't have to say it." Shen Wanzhen said simply.

The three of them hit the east corner gate and entered the back garden, the snow kept falling, and the pavilions and pavilions fell a layer of white fine snow, but a pool of water was not frozen, and it flowed slowly under the white snow cover.

"Master, pay attention to your feet, the snow droplets fall on the stone pavement slippery." Mrs. Qian looked at the master's feet while walking, this bluestone road is usually fine, but it rains and snows, and it is slippery.

"The master is not going to say anything?" Xiuju didn't quite understand, this was the best time to make a move, as soon as the fake pregnancy was said, Aunt Ying returned to her original form.

Shen Wanzhen stood still, looking at the clear water in the snow-covered pool, her smile spread on her pretty face, and she said soothingly, "It's not fake, it's really not fake." ”

A large snowflake fell from the sky, and Mrs. Qian held an oil umbrella to cover the master, and said: "Why don't the master take advantage of this incident to make the second master completely dead to her, without this little slut hooking, the second master's mind will slowly return to the master." ”

This old woman hopes that her girl and aunt can live with Hemeimei, Shen Wanzhen stretched out her hand outside the oil umbrella, and the snowflakes fell on the palm of her hand and turned into water droplets, cool and cool, "Why should I be this wicked person?" It's not us who should be in a hurry. ”

Mrs. Qian saw that her master's pace was speeding up, and the snowflakes fell on the mink fur snow hat on Shen Xuanzhen's head, and her little feet kicked upside down a few times, keeping up, and was busy covering her master.

In winter, there is no one in the garden, just a few people stroll slowly, but there is a little girl standing by a pavilion in the northeast of the garden, about ten years old, dressed in red, red and bright from a distance, like a red plum in the snow, it is very good-looking.

"That's not Miss Rui." Shen Xuanzhen knew that this was Uncle Zhan's only concubine, and she was born and raised by Mrs. Zhan's roommate.

Mrs. Qian went half a step on the master's side, holding an oil umbrella to protect the master, afraid that the master would get wet, moving with the master's footsteps, listening to the master, and also looked at the pavilion over there, and said: "I heard that Miss Rui's biological mother, Aunt Qiao, turned out to be Mrs.'s dowry girl, Mrs. and Uncle have a good relationship between husband and wife, our Mrs. gave birth to an uncle at that time, and the old lady of Bofu is still alive, Mrs. wants to take her own dowry maid in order to look good, and the uncle does not agree, but then the old lady quit, and insists that the daughter-in-law gives birth, and the son is not taken care of, wanted to give his son a concubine, and the uncle agreed to open his face to the maid. ”

Shen Wanzhen has seen Aunt Qiao a few times, she usually doesn't go out often, and lives with her daughter in a very small yard behind the upper room.

The three of them turned around before they walked to the pavilion, and walked towards the southwest corner gate of the garden, Mrs. Qian saw that it was far away from the pavilion, and then continued the unfinished words, "When this Qiao girl waited for Mrs. at first, she also did her duty, and she didn't wilt or speak, but after following the master, her mind became bigger, and she tried her best to keep the master, and the lady gave birth to the second master and the third master one after another, and she couldn't wait for her husband, and her mother-in-law was in the hall, so she had to endure it." ”

Out of the southwest corner gate of the garden, the snow stopped, Mrs. Qian put away the oil umbrella, Xiuju listened attentively, and urged: "Tell me quickly, what's next, it's hard to admit it to Mrs. Cheng." ”

Mrs. Qian glanced at Xiuju with disgust, "What's the hurry, listen to me, how can it be over?"

The old man saw the signs, in front of people, down her face, and never went to her house, the girl Qiao was afraid, went to the lady to go to the room and kowtowed and made amends, the lady slowly persuaded the master to go to her house, but the master let her give birth to a girl, and never let her get pregnant again, a year and a half to go, should be the occasion. ”

Mrs. Qian sighed, "It can be seen that our uncle is an understanding person, if Miss Qiao is allowed to give birth to a boy, the house will stop like now." ”

Shen Xuanzhen heard these old things more or less, and the third young lady Cao once said that her mother-in-law, Mrs. Zhan, had a good way to advance by retreating, and winning her husband's heart with virtue and generosity. Is it really virtuous and generous? Not necessarily, Miss Qiao was exempted from going to the room to ask for peace, saying that it was sympathetic to what it sounded like, but in fact, she was not allowed to see her uncle, and she would not see her after a long time, and her feelings were not deep, so it was inevitable that she would be unfamiliar.

Although Miss Qiao is a separate courtyard, it is a small courtyard behind Mrs. Zhan's main house, if you want to go to Miss Qiao's house, you must pass through the main house, this is Mrs. Zhan's cleverness, put her under her nose, and the uncle wants to go to her yard lame.

I also heard that Mrs. Zhan was very virtuous, and when the couple were young, they did not leave for a moment, and it was estimated that the time for the uncle to go down to the court was approaching, and Mrs. Zhan sat in front of the window and looked at the door of the courtyard, and the uncle greeted him as soon as he entered the courtyard.

But Shen Wanzhen thought differently, what chance did the uncle have to meet Miss Qiao, but he thought in his heart, and he was embarrassed to say it in the face of his infatuated wife.

And even if the uncle doesn't go, he will go once or twice a year, how can he not get pregnant, is it impossible to see one or two sides in a year without skin kiss, it is also unlikely, these years can not be conceived, the hidden secret, who will know the way, maybe the uncle acquiesced or did not know the way at all in order to please the young and beautiful wife, if the mansion door did not want the woman to give birth to a bowl of medicine, it would be solved, it was the people in the house who made up the imagination to raise the uncle.

"I heard that Madame wanted to bring Miss Rui over and raise her personally?" Shen Wanzhen had something that was inconvenient to say directly, and it was about her in-laws, so she had to say it vaguely.

"If you don't say that Mrs. is virtuous, but Miss Qiao can't see it, she knelt in the upper room for three days and three nights, didn't eat or drink, begged Mrs. not to take the child away, Mrs. was soft-hearted, so she promised to raise it herself." Mrs. Qian said that she was obedient to her wife in every way.

Shen Wanzhen had another idea, her mother-in-law took away Miss Qiao's child to threaten her, but she only thought about it, but she didn't dare to say it, that Miss Qiao has been in peace since then, and she has been guarding her daughter wholeheartedly, and she doesn't think about it, that is, the concubine is pitiful, and the people in the house usually don't remember that there is this mother and daughter.

Anyway, Uncle Zhan is wonderful, Shen Wanzhen thought, there are good men in this life, but she didn't meet them, but God gave her two lives, and she was not bad, and people must learn to be content.

The three daughters-in-law of the Zhan family stood behind their mother-in-law with their maids and mothers-in-law, and there were a few low tables next to Mrs. Zhan, and the elders and daughters of the Zhan family were seated.

The brothers of the Zhan family have long been separated, Uncle Zhan succeeded to the throne for the eldest son, and several other half-brothers, after the division of the house, relying on the family property obtained by the division, the life is also rich, but compared with the uncle's house, it is a big difference.

"The eldest daughter-in-law is getting more and more capable." Zhan Shaoting's cousin praised flatteringly, the men in her family are not angry, they rely on the Bofu to help them every day, they often come to fight the autumn breeze, and they get some benefits by flattering the Zhao family.

"Second sister heard about the Xu family?" Zhao asked with a smile.

"We are from a small family, and our daughter married early, making room for our son to marry a daughter-in-law." This aunt came to Bofu once, and when she went home, she didn't like anything, she thought her house was narrow, and several people were crowded in a second-entry courtyard, and she saw that her son said that she was a daughter-in-law, and she was not lenient when she married into the house.

"The second nephew and daughter-in-law are seeing each other for the first time, and I didn't come to drink the wedding wine last time I had something at home." On the left side of Mrs. Zhan sat a middle-aged woman who was gentle, she was the fourth aunt of Zhan Shaoting, and her husband was a six-rank civil official, and she was the only one of the several concubines and brothers who was promoted by the imperial examination.

Shen Wanzhen was blessed and said with a smile: "The fourth aunt is good." ”

Zhan Shaoting's second aunt ate and drank enough, wiped her mouth, and looked around with her little eyes, this look, you can see a little doorway, today are all close relatives of the Bofu, there are not many people, there are foreign guests and concubines who can't get on the table, so they set up a table in the hallway, this is all their own family, so they don't shy away from it, and the table in the concubine room is pressed into the flower hall, and the door is not very conspicuous.

The shrewd second aunt Ma saw Aunt Ying sitting at the door of the flower hall at a glance, and began to mutter, but she didn't dare to confirm it, Aunt Ying was sitting with her face back, just turned around, and was seen clearly by her, and immediately the blood gushed up, and she pointed with her finger excitedly, "Look, isn't that the second nephew's concubine named Ying or something, isn't she the one who made the daughter-in-law of the second nephew angry to death?" ”

When she shouted, Zhan Shaoting's third aunt, Lu, stretched her neck, "What about that?" Where? ”

"Look here, it's not the one next to the door, dressed like a vixen." The second aunt Ma pointed her finger, "See?" ”

"See, it's really that aunt!" The third aunt, Lu, finally found Aunt Ying in the corner, and she was excited.

As soon as the third aunt Lu's loud voice called, the relatives and daughters who were at the banquet in this hall all saw it and looked at the door curiously.

Mrs. Zhan is a little displeased, these few concubines, usually competitive and competitive, when a few brothers are not divided, from time to time to fill in the blockage for her, it is easy to separate the family, the root of the ear is clean, this usually does not move, come once during the New Year's Festival, see how she is doing well, her heart is not comfortable, the same is a concubine, once ate a pot of rice, Master Zhan relied on his son-in-law, inherited the ancestral shade, lived a rich life, a few concubines could not help but be jealous and unwilling, so they specifically looked for things to expose the shortcomings, if Mrs. Zhan was not scruples about people's words and her husband's feelings, she would have been far away from them, Spend money to invite them to eat and drink for nothing, just to come and get along with themselves?

"Sister-in-law, the second nephew's concubine has been taken back to the house again?" The second concubine Ma asked deliberately, she had heard it before, but she didn't expect this little concubine to swagger on the table to eat, this discovery made her radiant and full of energy, but there was something to say.

"Now the house is the daughter-in-law in charge, I'm old, and I don't care about anything, the daughter-in-law has the final say in each room, even if I don't interfere in the affairs of the concubine in the Shaoting, no, the third daughter-in-law sees that the concubine stays in the countryside and is pitiful, and the aunt sincerely repents, the third daughter-in-law will send someone to pick it up, and besides, she is pregnant with the flesh and blood of the Shaoting, and she can't still be outside."

"What, flesh and blood, pregnant with Shaoting's ......." The third aunt Lu was even more surprised, and turned her head to look at Shen Wanzhen.

Mrs. Zhan didn't see that it was hidden, it had already spread in her family, so it was better to say it generously, so she didn't have to chew her tongue in private, so she ordered the maid, "Call Aunt Ying." ”

"Greet Miss Qiaohui too."

Mo Yu walked over and said a few words to Aunt Ying, and Aunt Ying walked towards this room, and several aunts of Zhan Shaoting stared at her with ulterior motives on their faces.

"Ma'am." Aunt Ying blessed her body and bowed to Mrs. Zhan.

"Madame" Qiaohui also came over and squatted down.

Mrs. Zhan deliberately showed off, but also to block this ill-intentioned concubine's mouth, so she beckoned Qiaohui over and pointed to the two of them, "These are the two people in the Shaoting room, they are pregnant together, and the second daughter-in-law doesn't know how much worry about the two of them." "Say it, look at a few concubines proudly, want to see the jokes of the uncle, the second son is now in harmony with his wife and concubine, there is nothing to say about spoiling the concubine and killing the wife, saving the old man to talk about the spoiled concubine and killing the wife, unless you don't meet, you can take it to the mouth and read it a few times, now the son continues to string, the concubine is pregnant, and it hasn't been the same, the daughter-in-law hasn't said anything, outsiders are talkative, annoying.

The smiles on the faces of those women were unnatural, and the second aunt Ma secretly pursed her lips, deliberately glanced at Shen Wanzhen, and smiled, "The second nephew and daughter-in-law are really virtuous, and they are more open-minded than the daughter-in-law who is the first. ”

It sounds like praising Shen's virtues, but it doesn't sound right, Ma's is changing the law and saying that the Bofu is not big or small, there are no rules and no distance, so that Shen Wanzhen will lose her face in public, provoke Shen Wanzhen's dissatisfaction, and make her mother-in-law and daughter-in-law lose harmony. Mrs. Zhan was also indignant for a while, so she called the two of them over and blocked the mouths of these concubines, but she didn't expect Shen Wanzhen to do this.

All the relatives in the hall looked at Shen Wanzhen, who was standing behind Mrs. Zhan, but Shen Wanzhen smiled undiminishedly, standing generously, without any embarrassment, and without jealousy.

Mrs. Zhan was annoyed, these concubines were not good at stubble, every time they suffered losses, and in front of all their relatives, they begged for a bargain, and everyone in the hall looked at the two rooms with mocking eyes, and their hearts were blocked, Qiaohui was okay, and bowed to Shen Wanzhen, and Aunt Ying stood still in a big way, I don't know whether it was unintentional or intentional, which embarrassed Shen Wanzhen, Mrs. Zhan's face was hot, and she said to the two of them angrily: "Go down, if you can't eat, go back to the house and rest." ”

Aunt Ying was called up by Mrs. Zhan in front of all relatives, she was proud, and squinted at Shen Wanzhen, but Shen Wanzhen didn't seem to look at her out of the corner of her eye, which made Aunt Ying a little disappointed.

All the relatives and daughters in the hall put down their cups and spoons, looked at this room, and those who sat a little farther away also listened, and their eyes all looked at Shen Wanzhen, most of the women in the inner hall were wives, and a very few were concubines, and they did not dare to be arrogant, and hid in places where people did not pay attention to eating and drinking, so most of the eyes cast were sympathy for Shen Wanzhen and disgusted with Aunt Ying.

"The second daughter-in-law is good-natured, and at first glance she is knowledgeable, she is newly married, and she will have some children in the future, maybe she will be like a sister-in-law giving birth to a boy in a row." The fourth aunt, whose only husband is an official, helped Shen Wanzhen say a few words and helped her out of the siege.

Zhao looked at Shen Wanzhen, and sighed in his heart, his husband is not good, but the second child is even more outrageous, his mother-in-law spoils his son, and he still shows his face, even he is panicked.

Zhao stepped forward and greeted affectionately, "Second aunt, third aunt eats and drinks, can't touch chopsticks." ”

Only then did everyone return their eyes to the table.

After three rounds of drinking, Mrs. Zhan was a little tired, so she excused herself and left the table, and Shen Wanzhen hurriedly went over to support her.

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law walked out of the door of the flower hall and walked along the cloister towards the west hall.

Mrs. Zhan leaned on the couch and held Shen Wanzhen's hand, "Second daughter-in-law, I know that you have been wronged, but how to say that the concubine is also a concubine, only the child born to you is the serious master of my uncle's mansion, and I will ask Shaoting to apologize to you when I turn around, how about you two round house?" If he refuses to obey, I will tell him father, and tie him up and go to your house. ”

Shen Wanzhen listened, and stood in place in a daze, her mind was blank, but Mrs. Zhan didn't pay attention to the change in her expression, and then said: "I'm optimistic, Shaoting marrying you is a blessing from his cultivation, and only you can let him have a peaceful life." ”

Shen Wanzhen said in her heart, he is doing well, but I am not good.

Shen Wanzhen was silent, quiet for a while, walked behind Mrs. Zhan and gently pinched her shoulders, and said softly: "Mother, the binding is not husband and wife, husband he can't accept me for a while, don't worry, when he figures it out, he is willing to be with his daughter-in-law, isn't it more natural and better, if his mother intervenes, with his stubborn personality, he is easy to be disgusted, and he will misunderstand that I am using my mother to press him, and the husband and wife are suspicious, and it will be difficult to reconcile, anyway, the days are long, and I am not in a hurry at this time." ”

Mrs. Zhan patted the hand she pressed on her shoulder, "Okay, good, daughter-in-law, you think right, I believe that with such a good daughter-in-law as you, Shaoting will return to you sooner or later." At this time, the candle flame in the side hall dimmed, Shen Guanzhen walked over, turned her back to Mrs. Zhan, lifted the lampshade, cut the lantern flowers, and the bright candle flame shone on her disdainful face.