Section 009 Incense and jade

Mrs. Shizi's joke made the whole room laugh.

Dong Ying also pursed her lips and smiled lightly, but did not answer. Only when she is alone in front of the old lady and the old marquis, she will be playful, a large family of aunts and sisters is present, and Dong Yuwen is quiet and shy.

The eight-sided delicate is easy to attract envy, especially if she is loved by the old lady in advance.

You can't go wrong with being calm and introverted.

"Sister Yu is filial, but she is laughed at by you!" The third lady Jiang laughed loudly and crisply, helping Dongyu to relieve the siege. Among the concubines in the family, the third lady Jiang is the most pungent. She spoke sharply, acted decisively, and had a straightforward personality, which was very much liked by the old lady.

The third old man, Xue Zifeng, loves elegant rhymes, plays the guqin well, and has a strong style of poetry and painting, which is quite famous. He calls himself a scholar of Xueyue, and Mobao is a gold in the market. But in the era of the imperial examination, it took eight shares of Shiwen to embark on a career in office, but he didn't like these.

He was very inferior in scientific examinations, and he was only promoted at the age of thirty.

The family doesn't need him to be named on the gold list, and the old marquis never demands the third master's studies.

Later, the third master simply burned the four books and five classics, took his personal servant, traveled south, and walked for three years, and often wrote back to report safety.

But he didn't say a word about when he would return to Shengjing.

In June this year, Xue Dongyao, the sixth lady of the third room, came out of the cabinet and married the eldest son of Zhen Shangshu of the Ministry of Rites. After the third master got the letter, he sent someone to send two blood-colored corals from Nanwan Kingdom, which were five feet high and two feet long, which were rare in the world. The third master also said that he used a splashed ink landscape painting to exchange it from the prince of Nanwan Kingdom as a dowry for Xue Dongyao.

This kind of dowry is hard to find, the old marquis is very satisfied, the third lady and Xue Dongyao have a bright face, and they don't care that the third master can't attend the wedding in time, it is handled by the prince, and the sixth lady of the Xue family marries Zhen Lang with ten miles of red makeup.

Everyone was talking and laughing, the sacrifice of Laba Festival was over, and the men also went to Rongde Pavilion to accompany the old marquis and old lady to eat Laba porridge and celebrate Laba Festival.

As soon as the Laba porridge rewarded by the palace was served, the chief steward of the outer courtyard came in with two small servants, carrying a food box in his hand, and said with a smile: "The Laba porridge just sent by the Shengchang Marquis Mansion." ”

The Marquis of Shengchang's mansion is the maiden home of Concubine Sheng.

Because Sheng Guifei and Xue Guifei have equal status, the two have been fighting and hating each other since they entered the prince's mansion; The Xue and Sheng families were even more afraid of being taken care of by the emperor, and they never interacted with each other.

Why did their family suddenly send Laba porridge?

The daughters of the Xue family were a little confused.

Not long after Mr. Ge went out, he came in again: "This is a ...... sent by Xiao Guofu"

Xiao Guofu is the queen's maiden home and the residence of Mrs. Xiao.

At this time, everyone whispered, and the flower hall was noisy.

"When the emperor was here, he always had scruples about his relatives, and we didn't interact with each other. Now that the new emperor is practicing Zuo, he was originally an in-law, and he should be more affectionate, so he is moving. Our family's porridge was also sent to Xiao Guofu and Shengchang Houfu. Seeing everyone muttering quietly, the old marquis smiled and said loudly.

Ge Da general pipe is.

The room fell silent.

Dongyi's mind turned slightly. She knows all the people who have close contacts with the Xue Mansion. If you want to gain a foothold in this society, the interpersonal network is very important, who are the good people of the family, what background are they, what preferences and taboos they have, Dongyu has long secretly inquired about it and memorized it by heart.

Xiao Guofu and Shengchang Hou Mansion did not have a deep friendship with the Xue family, and they had not received Laba porridge from the two of them in previous years. What's going on this year?

It's not just Dongyu, the women have different expressions, and they are all secretly speculating in their hearts.

It must have something to do with the imperial court.

But what's going on in the imperial court lately?

In the political affairs of the DPRK and China, the women inquired and trespassed, so the women in the inner house of the Xue Mansion kept to themselves, regardless of it, Dongyu had no way to inquire. She didn't dare to extend her power to the outer courtyard, if the old lady knew and doubted her motives, I was afraid that there would be gaps in the feelings she had cultivated over the years.

Once there is a gap, it may not be possible to make up for it by spending a hundred times more effort.

Relationships are not only about giving, but also about opportunities.

Back then, Dongying was able to be liked by the old lady, in addition to her piety and forbearance, etiquette and practice, and the old lady's most beloved granddaughter, Xue Dongting, the fourth lady of the Xue family, happened to be married, she was empty under her knees, and other granddaughters were difficult to enter her eyes, Dongying just replaced Xue Dongting and became the most favored in front of her grandmother.

Such an opportunity needs to be in the right place at the right time, and it will be difficult to make such a coincidence in the future.

And feelings are a strange thing, if you like this person, her playfulness and cuteness is the rotten who doesn't know the world; If you doubt it, you are deliberately contrived.

Dongyu didn't dare to do anything wrong that he regretted, and maintained his current grace.

But her heart was like a flame, burning her, making it difficult for her to sleep.

Where did her jade pendant go, or was it picked up by the "eunuch" yesterday?

Thinking about it, her eyes fell on Xue Ziming, the fifth old man wearing a crescent-colored Hangzhou thick coat, and her heart moved slightly. Her father also goes to court every day, and he should be clear about the big and small affairs of the court, right?

After the family reunited and eaten, they sat down around the old lady's west room and gossiped about homely things.

Looking at the full house of children and grandchildren, the old marquis's eyebrows and eyes stretched.

He hugged his three-year-old grandson, Xue Hanjia, in his arms and asked him if this year's porridge was delicious.

Xue Hanjia is the sister-in-law of Xue Huajing, the uncle of the long house, and the fourth generation of the old marquis Xue. The pink-carved Jia Geer is lively and sensible, and everyone in the house likes it.

He blinked his big eyes as clear as autumn water and looked at Old Marquis Xue, and said in a milky voice: "Great-grandfather, the porridge is delicious." ”

The childlike witty words made everyone laugh.

The old lady snuggled in her arms the daughter of her uncle Xue Huajing, eight-year-old Xue Fengrui. Compared with Dongyu and their sisters, Xue Fengrui lives a relaxed and happy life, and is still an ignorant child at the age of eight, when she saw her great-grandfather ask her younger brother, she also rushed to answer: "Great-grandfather, this year's porridge is particularly sweet......

The eldest grandmother, Hang, gave her a look and said softly: "Sister Rui, my great-grandfather asked your brother." In other words, adults don't ask, don't interject without permission.

Old Madam Xue had already laughed and pinched Xue Fengrui's cheek: "This year's porridge has cheese, and only our sister Rui has eaten it." His voice was full of love.

Everyone echoed and praised Xue Fengrui for his cleverness, and covered up the words of the eldest grandmother.

After talking, the steward of the outer courtyard said that the prince had a guest and asked the prince to go out; Then the chief steward Ge Taoxiang came in again and said that Xiao Guogong had come to visit the old marquis Xue.

After the prince and the old marquis Xue left, the fourth master, the fifth master and the uncle, the fourth master and the fifth master and others all withdrew under the pretext that there was something in the outer courtyard.

Only women and children were left in the room, and the atmosphere was relaxed and cheerful.

The old lady left them to eat again.

After eating, everyone knew the old lady's habit of taking a nap at noon, and they didn't dare to stay for a long time.

Dongyu followed the fifth lady and the tenth lady Xue Dongwan, the eleventh miss Xue Dongshu, the twelfth miss Xue Donglin, and the sixth master Xue Huayi to the courtyard of the fifth lady.

The aunts waited to greet the fifth lady.

The fifth lady sat on the big pit near the window of the banquet place in the east room, let Xue Dongyu and Xue Donglin sit under her, the twelve-year-old sixth master Xue Huayi held it in her arms, Xue Dongwan and Xue Dongshu sat on the Taishi chair with the golden silk nanmu covered with elastic ink chairs next to the kang in turn, and several aunts gave brocade and sat along the kang.

After saying a few words, the fifth master came back from outside.

The fifth lady ordered Dongyu and them to disperse, not giving them a chance to speak in front of the fifth master, but called out to the tenth lady Xue Dongwan: "Sister Wan stands slightly, I have a few words to say......"

Xue Dongwan's biological mother, Aunt He, was ecstatic.

Xue Dongshu, the eleventh lady who lived in the Taoyu Pavilion with Xue Dongwan, was a little uneasy.

The fifth master left Xue Donglin and Xue Huayi behind, and the others withdrew.

As soon as she left the hospital, the fifth aunt Zhang pursed her lips and smiled, and whispered to Xue Dongyu: "The fifth master really loves the child, every time he eats at Mrs. here, he always asks Sister Lin and Brother Yi to accompany him. Since ancient times, strict fathers have produced filial sons, and the fifth master has no scruples......"

This is hinting at Dongyi, although she is a concubine, but in the heart of the fifth master, she has the same status as her aunt and concubine.

Is it sowing discord?

Dong Ying pretended not to understand, and smiled softly: "My father is busy with affairs in the court, and it is rare to eat at my mother's place, so I naturally want my children to wrap around my knees." ”

Aunt Zhang was rewarded to Xue Ziming by Master Pei, the head of the Hanlin Academy the year before last, she is only nineteen years old this year, Mingyan is charming, the fifth lady always guards against her, and her treatment is not as good as that of several other aunts.

Could it be that she wanted to sow discord and pull herself and her into a camp against the Fifth Lady?

Dongyu is funny.

No matter how powerful the fifth lady is, what can she do? The eldest maid and the housekeeper's mother in the Shicui Pavilion took the monthly example in the old lady's house, and it had nothing to do with the fifth lady.

Aunt Zhang wanted to say something, but the eleventh lady Xue Dongshu on the side pulled Dongyu: "Ninth sister, I heard that the treasure inkstone in my grandfather's study rewarded you, but is it true?" ”

Dong Zhen bowed his head, and was also grateful to her for interrupting Aunt Zhang's words.

"I'm fine, go to Sister Jiu's to ask for a good cup of tea, and pay homage to that treasure inkstone." Xue Dongshu smiled coquettishly, took Dongyu's arm and went to the Shicui Pavilion.

The green pavilion of Dongyu is surrounded by green bamboo, bypassing the two corridors, there is a large peach forest, and there is a delicate small building in the southwest corner of the peach forest, which is the peach pavilion where Xue Dongwan and Xue Dongshu live.

"I made plum blossom cakes, and Eleven Sister helped me taste how it tasted." Dongyu also smiled at Xue Dongshu affectionately, and then greeted a few aunts and returned to the Shicui Pavilion.

Xue Dongshu's biological mother, the second aunt, had a few indifferent smiles in the corners of her eyes, and then saw the third and fourth aunts behind her, and asked, "Why don't you see Sister Yan and Sister Xian today?" ”

The thirteenth lady, Xue Dongyan, is eight years old this year and was born to the third aunt of the fifth room, Yuan; The fourteenth lady Xue Dongxian was five years old and was born to the fourth aunt of the fifth room, the Song family.

Hearing the second aunt ask, the third aunt said in a flat tone: "I suffered from the wind and cold, and I also infected Sister Xian'er......"

The eldest aunt He gave birth to the tenth miss Xue Dongwan, and the second aunt Kong gave birth to the eleventh miss Xue Dongshu, both of whom were the dowry maids of the first wife Han. The third and fourth aunts are the maidservants of the fifth lady Yang. The four people and two camps have always been incompatible.

Seeing that the third aunt's tone was flat, the second aunt didn't mind too much, smiled, followed the eldest aunt, and went back to her residence.

Over there, Xue Dongshu was talking to Dongyu, but he always seemed absent-minded.

When I arrived at the Shicui Pavilion, Xue Dongshu smiled and said: "I just remembered that some time ago, I promised to help the third aunt make a pair of shoes, and I sent them over the day after the Laba Festival, and the decoration on the side was not embroidered, so I will bother the ninth sister another day." ”

She was not familiar with her, she said that she went to sit in the Shicui Pavilion, and she also interrupted Aunt Zhang's nonsensical gossip for Dongyi, Dongying naturally did not force her to stay, and smiled and asked her to go back slowly, the snow is still melting these days, and the road is slippery.

Xue Dongshu said yes, supported by his eldest maid Furong, and returned to the Taoyun Pavilion.

In the middle of the night, there was a commotion at the Momokan.

Dong Yu was also awakened, and looked at the self-striking bell on the wall, which was only three minutes of the first month. She got up in her coat, let Tangerine Xiang hold the lamp, and then told the little maid to go to the Taoyun Pavilion to see the situation.

The little maid came back and trembled with fright: "Miss Nine, Miss Ten is gone." ”