Baochai went from Lixiangyuan to Rongqingtang to greet Jia's mother, and then went to visit Daiyu.

It just so happened that the Sanchun sisters were also in the Daiyu house, doing needlework together.

The Chinese New Year is approaching, and everyone is busy embroidering some things in sachets and handkerchiefs, preparing for their own use or gifts in the New Year.

Baochai accompanied them to talk and helped with a few stitches.

Several people were a little tired for a while, and Tanchun smiled: "I heard that Sister Bao is wearing a golden lock, and I haven't been able to take a closer look. ”

When Baochai heard this, he felt a little uncomfortable in his heart.

In the past few days, among the subordinates of Jiafu, there are faint rumors of "gold and jade theory", she has not heard of it.

Basically, she Xue Baochai got a golden lock since she was a child, and some masters said that in the future, she will definitely pick up a son with jade as her son-in-law. This is a marriage made in heaven, which is called a good marriage.

As we all know, in Jiafu, Jia Baoyu was born as a jade.

The Sanchun sisters are naturally very familiar with Jia Baoyu's piece of jade, and now they want her golden lock to see, what does it mean, it goes without saying.

Although Baochai felt bored in her heart, Tanchun and the others were sisters in her boudoir, so it was not too much to ask for it, so she had to untie the golden lock from the collar and hand it to Tanchun.

Yingchun and Xichun hurriedly gathered around to see.

Daiyu stood up, didn't say anything, turned around and went inside.

Tanchun and the others didn't see Daiyu's strange appearance because their attention was on Baochai's golden lock, but Baochai was all in their eyes.

didn't make a sound, quietly waiting for Tanchun and the others to finish watching.

"I didn't expect Sister Bao's golden lock to have eight words on it, 'never give up, Fang Ling will continue forever', it sounds a little similar to the words on the second brother's jade."

Tanchun smiled, and when Xichun also saw it, he took the golden lock and returned it to Baochai.

Xichun continued to explore Chun's words: "Yes, yes, Brother Bao's jade has the words 'don't forget it, Xianshou Hengchang', which does sound very similar." ”

"Hehehe......"

Both Tanchun and Yingchun laughed.

Perhaps only cherishing spring will simply look at the strange.

Baochai put on the golden lock and explained: "It's just a monk's gift, those monks and Taoists are the best at saying some strange things, but it's just an auspicious word, if you really want to study it carefully, it's not interesting." ”

After talking about the golden lock, Baochai didn't stay long, and soon left.

All the way back to Lixiangyuan, outside the door of a moon cave, I overheard the two envoys they brought from Nanjing gossiping inside the door.

"Second Master Bao is handsome and smart, and his identity is good, if his wife allows our girl to him, it will be an excellent family business."

"Although Second Master Bao is good, our girl is also fully worthy! Our girls not only look good, but they are dignified and knowledgeable, and those girls in their two mansions are definitely not as good as our girls. ”

"That's nature...... But whether it's our girl or the second master in their house, they are not very old now, why did they suddenly start talking about it? ”

"You don't know this, I heard people say that in order to build a garden for the mother, they lacked a lot of money, and they wanted to borrow it from our wife, and they were embarrassed to open their mouths, so they thought about using the family affairs between their children to pull in the relationship between the two families......"

"And what's going on? Isn't it because of some 'golden and jade relationship'? Their brother has jade, and our girl has a golden lock, which is a great fate. ”

“……”

Baochai listened for a long time, and really felt a little harsh, so he didn't step into the door, but turned around and walked towards Aunt Xue's house.

After finding her mother, Baochai didn't have too much temptation, and asked directly: "What did my aunt say to my mother when she came over that day?" ”

Aunt Xue knew that her daughter was coming over with a worried face, and she must have something to ask her, so she smiled and said, "We are just gossiping, what serious can we say?" ”

Baochai looked incredulous, and said: "Mom used to discuss anything with me, but this time I asked my brother to transfer money to Beijing, but she didn't tell me in detail......

In the past few days, there have been rumors in their house, but it has something to do with this matter? ”

Aunt Xue saw that Baochai knew, so she no longer hid it, and said with a smile: "There is one thing I forgot to tell you, your aunt intends to let you and Baoyu get married." ”

Although he had already guessed it, when he heard that this was the case, Baochai was still surprised: "But, didn't my father's last wish let me enter the palace to be elected?" Mom didn't object before, why did she suddenly change her mind? ”

In the past two years, she has been preparing for the election in the palace, even if she has suffered a setback, she is still not discouraged. Now her mother is suddenly about to change her hexagram, which makes her very confused.

When she mentioned this, Aunt Xue's eyes were dark.

"What is to be chosen, let it be done later.

Our family, since your father's death, has completely broken its heel in the imperial court. Although there are still many old relatives and friends left by my ancestors, I have long understood the truth of people taking tea and cooling over the years.

In the last general election of the Ministry of Rites, although I was negligent, it was also because I didn't find the right person to help you with the dots for a while, so you didn't even enter the re-election......

Although there is still one chance when you are sixteen, I have thought about it. The most important place in the palace is to pay attention to birth and pomp, even if you are not weaker than others, but others will eventually look down on you because of the decline of our Xue family.

In such a situation, it is too difficult to get ahead, isn't it distressing to be a mother? ”

Aunt Xue said, taking Baochai into her arms and rubbing it.

Baochai snuggled tightly to Aunt Xue, feeling her mother's loss and discouragement, she wanted to comfort her, saying that she was not afraid, she had confidence......

But reason told her that her mother was speaking the most pertinent and true words.

In the palace, more than anywhere else in the world, it pays attention to birth and pomp.

For example, Yuanchun in Jiafu.

Although she has the relationship with the queen's mother, as soon as she ascends to the throne, she can sit in Fengzao Palace, be the head of the first palace, and be one of the four concubines, because she is the eldest daughter of the Jia family, the head of the eight princes!

This is her biggest guard of honor. Even, if she wasn't the daughter of the Jia family, the queen would not choose to lift her.

In other words, even Yuanchun was favored by people and time, and it took her seven or eight years to get through, which shows the long and difficult road of this road.

So, why did she Xue Baochai think that she would definitely be able to rise to the top after entering the palace?

The time and place are favorable, and she does not occupy the same. The only thing worthy of her honor may be her extraordinary appearance and talent.

However, it was a royal palace, and the most important thing was a woman with beauty and talent.

Once you fail, you will waste all your youth in that deep palace.

Although the truth is cruel, Baochai also knows her father's thoughts after he is seriously ill.

Sending her into the palace is the only hope that the Xue family can rise again.

So, she never thought about backing down.

At this time, when Aunt Xue said this, she couldn't help crying.

Aunt Xue patted Baochai's back and said softly: "Don't cry, I know that you have been wronged all these years, and now I have figured it out." In the world, there are prosperity and decline, and you can't force it.

If your brother could have been sensible earlier, it would have been enough to take care of this family, if not, he would not have been able to treat our mother and son with food and clothing. ”

Aunt Xue, this is just vernacular. What kind of person Xue Pan is, she still knows it relatively well in her heart, and now she is helping to manage the Xue family's family business. She only hopes that Xue Pan can keep this family business in the future, as for development, then forget it.

Baochai passed a long time, and finally said: "I know that my mother is doing everything for my good, but even if I don't go to the palace, I can't be guilty of going to my aunt's house, and I have to take our own family's money, is my daughter so bad?" ”

Baochai said, both a little ashamed and a little resentful.

Exactly, I have only heard that the man is rehired to ask for the woman, and when he comes to her, he actually asks their family to pay silver, as if he is in a hurry to marry their family, which is the most difficult place for Baochai to accept.

"So that's what you said."

Aunt Xue's expression warmed, and she said with a smile: "Your aunt's family has encountered a major event recently, and the family is temporarily short of some silver, so she will talk to me."

Speaking of which, your aunt's family is also a famous family in Beijing. Although it doesn't sound good to say this, when you first entered Beijing, the reason why you lived in your aunt's house was actually for this reason.

Your father is gone, your brother is too young to be a director, and our family has a large property, which will inevitably attract people's attention. Not to mention far away, even those uncles and grandfathers in Nanjing, their eyes are also wide open, and they all want to come up and ask for a bargain.

That's why I came to vote for your aunt.

Now that their family has suddenly encountered a major event, they are short of money for a while, and it is reasonable to ask us to borrow it.

On that day, your aunt came and took a considerable share of the deed and the land deed, and borrowed 200,000 taels of silver from me. I said that I didn't need to mortgage, but she insisted on refusing, only saying that she would repay the money in the future, and then give her those things, and no one would lose anything in the middle, which was the way of the director. So I agreed. ”

Baochai realized this, and asked again: "In this case, why did they spread such words in their house again?" ”

Aunt Xue glanced at Baochai and said with a smile: "Your aunt said that you are good-looking, good-natured, dignified and polite, and asked me if I am willing to give you to Baoyu?"

This is just a private conversation between our sisters, and it has nothing to do with anything else. As for the jade on Baoyu and the golden lock on you, your aunt and I have already mentioned it, but when you were about to enter the palace, she didn't have anything to say.

This time, I probably saw that my tone was loose, so I intended to let someone pass it on, and your aunt also has a heart. ”

After Aunt Xue finished smiling, she saw that Baochai was silent, so she asked, "What, aren't you happy?" I have seen this child Baoyu, and he is good in all aspects, and I see that he is always considerate to you, and the relationship between your cousins and brothers is also close, which is the most rare. ”

Baochai raised his head and said seriously: "However, everyone in their house knows that Baoyu and Lin Yatou have the closest relationship, far beyond the reach of others. In my opinion, Baoyu is mostly devoted to Lin Yatou. ”

As for whether Lin Daiyu belongs to Jia Baoyu, there is almost no need to say much.

Aunt Xue frowned, then spread out and said, "Lin Yatou is the granddaughter of the old lady in Nafu, she grew up with Baoyu since she was a child, and she is slightly closer than others.

However, the marriage event, the life of the parents, the words of the matchmaker, and it is not a child's house, how can it be counted as you said, based on the closeness of the children. ”

Baochai thought about it, and finally could only nod silently.

Aunt Xue is right, the parents are in charge of the marriage matters, which is a reasonable thing in Baochai's opinion. It's just that it involves herself, but Baochai doesn't want her marriage to be mixed with a trace of reluctance.