Then, Rong Zheng and Aunt Chen were left by the old lady in Wanshoutang for a long call, and they returned to Suochunju at the end of the day.

As soon as she stepped into the door, Aunt Chen's handkerchief fell and roared open, "These four girls are not conspicuous on weekdays, they look like an honest person, but they come to such a sudden when they come to the juncture, and their Taoism is really high!" As he spoke, he slapped "bang" on the mahogany table, knocking the teacup down.

"Mother," Rong Zheng covered the door, walked forward with his head drooping, and whispered: "Actually, it's not Rong Jin who defected, it's ...... I didn't tell her about it, so I told my grandmother about it, I thought...... I thought she would be on my side, but I was seeking justice for her! ”

Aunt Chen raised her eyebrows, in disbelief, she stretched out her index finger and weighed Rong Zheng's head, "You, confused!" In the final analysis, this is her and the second girl's business, if you don't make up your mind with her, you will stand up for her, people may think that you are nosy with a mouse, and you can still stand by your side? You ......" Aunt Chen shook her head again and again, unable to continue.

Rong Zheng's face turned red, pinched the handkerchief and sat on the other side of the Luohan collapse, and said angrily: "How did I know that she not only looked stupid, but also a soft bone, and helped people talk when she was bullied." ”

Aunt Chen snorted coldly, and helped up the white porcelain cloud-patterned teacup that was knocked down on the desk, "She is a soft bone, she is a brain melon seed aura, I know that you are not really standing up for her, and by the way, I just used this matter to show favor to my wife!" ”

"No, I see she's just afraid of them."

Aunt Chen's slender jade hand pinched the white porcelain tea cup, the bright red nails were a little bright in the cloud pattern, she turned the cup, and said: "What does she do, this matter is all your fault, the matter is done in a hurry and a little can't hold your breath, there is no full certainty in the future, don't go to the old lady to complain," said after thinking of the old lady's reprimand, the cup is another beating, "The old lady is holding back the fire and has nowhere to go, so it is all on our mother, I am a mother, standing in front of the old lady to listen to the instructions, I am really ashamed!" ”

Rong Zheng lowered her head when she was said, and her face became redder, but she was not convinced, and muttered in a low voice: "I told you about this yesterday, didn't you just ask me to tell my grandmother in a hurry?" ”

"What are you muttering about?"

"No, I mean I've checked all the accounts you asked me to reconcile last time, yes," Rong Zheng said as he raised his hand to pour tea for Aunt Chen.

Aunt Chen came from a wealthy merchant family with a rich dowry, and there were three Zhuangzi in the suburbs of Beijing alone, and now she is also taking care of them, and by the way, she let her daughter Rong Zheng learn to settle accounts.

Zhu is just the opposite, she never let Rong Qing look at the account book, lest the money stain her, and now she is checking Rong Qing's homework in Chunhui Hall.

"You have finished reading Ying Ling's "Jianzhangtai Poetry Collection", can the poems be beneficial?" Zhu handed Rong Qing a copy of "Tao Yuanming's Collection" that had been turned to the corners of the book.

Rong Qing was reluctant in his heart, but he still took the book and said humbly: "Jinyi doesn't dare to say it, but I have some experience, my daughter will go back and study it a few times." ”

Rong Qing is actually a little afraid of her mother, for example, now, Zhu's gesture is too dignified, and he doesn't even shake the tassel on his steps when he speaks, although there is a faint smile on the corner of his mouth, but no matter how he looks at it, he looks like a gentleman who checks his homework.

Zhu Shi hummed lightly and waved his hand.

Rong Qing got up, hesitated and looked at Zhu again, and finally asked in a low voice: "Madam, why don't you ask about the things in the Wanshou Hall?" ”

"What is there to ask about the sesame seeds, there is nothing wrong with the four girls taking your things and you to ask for a few sentences, it is Aunt Chen who is playing right and wrong, and taking the trivial things between sisters to the old lady to chew," Zhu Shi looked disdainful, poured the tea with his hand, the water column hit the plain porcelain cup, and suddenly the pair of slender jade hands paused, she frowned and muttered: "But when your sisters quarreled more fiercely before, she didn't go to the old lady to chew the root of her tongue, how could it be abnormal this time?" ”

Mother Zhang, who was standing on the side, suddenly changed her face, and she understood why Mother Qian called her to Wanshoutang. She sighed in danger! If she had just slipped in for interrogation, the lady's face would have been lost.

"Maybe it's because Aunt Chen's red-eyed uncle has entered Jin Wuwei and made a mess, so that even trivial things can be brought to the table and said," Zhang's mother hurriedly stepped forward to remind.

Zhu bowed slightly, opened the lid of the cup and sniffed the fragrance of tea, temporarily revealing the matter.

"But I see that the fourth sister is sensible, and the shuttlecock is not bad," Rong Qing put the shuttlecock he had just received on the bookcase, and the peacock blue pheasant feathers around the periphery were very eye-catching, "Yesterday I went to her yard, only to know that she only had three maids and a mother-in-law to serve, and they also gathered around to talk about idle days, and there was no one to serve the weeds in the yard, so it was better to send a few more people over." ”

The steaming heat filled Zhu's face, like a white azalea in the clouds, she seemed to cover the tea lid carelessly, and ordered lightly: "Pick a few diligent girls and send them over, and turn the red sleeves over." ”

Zhang's mother wanted to shirk this errand, but Mother Kong, who was taking care of the trivial things in the inner courtyard, took leave yesterday, and Zhu didn't trust others, so she could only go down on an errand.

At this time, Rong Jin had returned to Hongyanzhai with the bird, he was very thirsty, and he picked up the teapot and was about to pour a cup of tea, but the pot was light and fluttering, and there was not a drop of water left in it.

Seeing this, the finch turned around and walked out of the door, crossed her waist and shouted, "Into the painting, don't you even boil the tea?" I don't know what I'm busy with every day! ”

The babbling in the ear room stopped, followed by a coquettish laugh.

"Wait a minute, the slave is coming!" He answered loudly in the painting, but he didn't move a single bit, and then laughed with the rest of the people.

Every day, Rong Jin goes to the dining room of Chongxiao Courtyard to eat, and no one comes to Yimei Courtyard, and there is no more work in the courtyard except sprinkling and boiling water, but just like this, Que Er has to do it himself.

"Miss, this person doesn't even move if he doesn't scream, and the slaves and maids want to whip people!" The finch walked back angrily, rolling up her sleeves thickly.

Rong Jin smiled and said, "Don't, how can these people withstand your beating," he pulled her to sit on the embroidery pier opposite, picked a Qingnai Li from the plate and handed it to her.

Although the first few outside are second-class maids, they are all born in the family, and they are supported by Lao Tzu Niang, and they are sent by the old lady and his wife. It also depends on the owner to beat the dog, if Rong Jin treats them too badly, it will damage the dignity of the old lady and the wife and their old son, so that everyone's face is not good-looking.

And in this mansion, if you want to be able to support the slaves, it is useless to just have a hard temper, so it will offend people, in the final analysis, there are two cases, money and power.

Speaking of money, Rong Jin's monthly case is only two taels of silver, and on weekdays, he sees a doctor and asks the small kitchen to make two cheeses; If you talk about power, she is a concubine who has just taken back to the house, not to mention the love of her elders, and now she has offended Aunt Chen, where does the right come from? So there is no way, I have to endure everything and bow my head to be a man.

"You just said you saw the mother who led you to take the pheasant feathers?" Rong Jin asked Que'er.

"Yes!" Finch came back to her senses and said mysteriously: "The mother followed the wife later, the slave maid didn't pay attention to it before, and now I found out that she is the wife's person, but the slave and the maid are not sure whether she is intentional or unintentional." ”

Rong Jin thoughtfully, took a kumquat from the plate, and rubbed it in the palm of his hand.

She admits that she has never offended her mother, nor has she offended her wife, and she is just an unfavored concubine, and her wife can't turn around to harm her, and she is thinking about it, so a girl comes to report: "Miss, Mother Zhang is here!" ”

Zhang's mother is the right-hand man of the Zhu family, but she is all about cooking accounts, etc., and she is not around to serve, these Rong Jin remembers, she put down the kumquat, slammed the rose shirt and sat upright. Qi'er also hurriedly put down Nai Li, got up and stood obediently beside Rong Jin.

I saw a mother in an ochre-colored paper jacket leading four maids slowly from the courtyard.

"Miss," the finch's pupils shrank, and she lowered her head and said in a low voice, "It's her, it's her!" ”

Rong Jin immediately understood what Que'er meant, she sighed in her heart, although this mother doesn't often stay with her wife, she has seen her twice, and Que'er, who has no heart and lungs, can't recognize her.

"The old slave has seen Miss," Zhang's mother led the four maids into the house, looked at Rong Jin without squinting, and saluted her, so serious that she couldn't see the weakness of her heart at all.

Rong Jin invited her to sit.

Zhang's mother repeatedly excused herself, and after thanking her for taking a seat, she made her intentions clear, and introduced a few girls behind her to Rong Jin one by one, "This is Red Sleeves, Spring Apricot, Summer Cicada and Autumn Frost, they are all honest and diligent, and they will follow Miss in the future. ”

Several people immediately saluted Rong Jin and called Miss Four.

Rong Jin raised his eyes and looked at the past one by one, the three of spring, summer and autumn looked really honest and honest, but the red sleeves on the far right, the triangular eyes were fierce, and the head was not as low as the other three when saluting, so he thought he had a temperament. However, she wears a crimson Luo skirt, she is a first-class girl, and she should have a temperament.

The finch on the side saw that the mother didn't seem to know herself from beginning to end, and her own young lady was only looking at a few new maids, she was anxious, and was about to be reminded, Rong Jin suddenly looked at her and said: "Sparrow, go and see, how the pot of tea in the painting has not been boiled yet, Mother Zhang has been sitting here for a long time." ”

"No need, the slave still has a bunch of trivial things to take care of, so I will retire first," Zhang's mother got up and stopped the finch who was about to go out.

"Mother Zhang ran this trip for me, how can I be happy if I don't eat tea," Rong Jin said with a smile, and motioned to her to make tea with a wink in her eyes. The finch only thought that her own lady wanted to question the mother pheasant feathers, so she was busy, led the new maids out together, and closed the door.