At night, Jin Mei was reading under the lamp, and Bi Luo came in to make the bed. Seeing that she was silent for a long time, she asked: "Since you came back from the eldest girl in the evening, you have been sitting and silent, and you haven't eaten much, and now I haven't seen you turn the page after reading the book for half the night, what is it for?" Jin Mei sighed, did not answer, but turned the pages of the book.

Biro was troubled and sat next to her. "It's not a thing to be so bored all the time, if you have something to worry about, it's better to say it." Jinmei glanced at her, discarded the book, pulled the plum blossom from the plum bottle, and stamped the petals with the lid of her fingernails. "I told you about the cause and effect of being drenched that day. Now it seems that some people secretly want to use this matter to sin me. ”

"Who is it?!" Biro was startled and grabbed her arm.

Jin Mei frowned and shook his head, "I don't know either." I just think this matter is a little unexpected, at that time I was indeed bumped into by a mother-in-law in the hug house, but it stands to reason that talking about the masters in private is to be punished, she should not be bold enough to go around to publicize it, but today in the garden I heard with my own ears that there was an ambiguity between me and the second young master, and there were some unbearable words. Although the third wife and the fourth girl didn't believe it, and were bent on severely punishing those mothers-in-law, so what? I don't think it's just four or five of them. ”

"So, what should we do?" Biluo sat up straight, his face turning pale. She naturally knew the danger of this kind of thing, and once it reached the ears of the old ladies and wives, the consequences would be really unimaginable! "In this way, the old woman is really bold! Aren't you afraid that the girl will be ruined, and she will also be implicated?! When did we offend her and do you like this! ”

"These weekdays come and go, there are many people, and sometimes we don't even know about offending people." Jin Mei whispered, and shook her head again: "Naturally, this may also be my suspicion, maybe it happened that she accidentally said something out of her mouth, and then it was spread by someone, and it was not necessarily specifically aimed at me." ”

"Then you'll have to think of a way!" Biro was so anxious that he pinched his fingers. "It's a small matter to be driven back to the house, and the girl's reputation is a big thing!"

Jin Mei thought for a moment and said, "The only way now is to find that mother-in-law, and if the matter reaches the ears of Mrs., you can call her and Haruka to testify." After speaking, she sat up straight and looked at Bi Luo: "There is a woman named Liu Er's daughter-in-law in the sprinkler sweeping room, she is in charge of the sprinkler and sweeper in the north of the garden, today she said that she heard this matter from other people's ears, you find an opportunity to find her, ask her from whom she heard it." Perhaps, we can find that person in this way. ”

"Good!" Bi Luo nodded, "I'll go tomorrow!" It just so happened that Hongying came to the second girl's room today, saying that she was making rouge paste in the past two days, and there were a lot of them, so let me and Liucui take advantage of the time to get some. ”

Jin Meiyin said: "What is the second girl doing these days?" ”

Bi Luo took a piece of clothing out, draped it over her shoulders, and said, "I have never heard of what I am doing, and I don't even go to the big girl's house, except for going to Ronghua Hall every other day to ask for peace, I only do needlework in the house every day." Either go up to the main courtyard and take a walk. Oh, by the way, I saw her talking with the third girl in the same place, and the old lady praised her for her recent change. ”

Jin Mei let out an "oh", and did not delve into it.

The next day after breakfast, Bi Luo went to the garden, and Jin Mei went to the main courtyard to ask for peace.

The eldest lady was distributing affairs with Li Chang in the house, and there were two large account books spread out on the kang table in the ear room, and some big red notes with words written on them.

After Li Chang finished reading a large list of lists, the eldest lady picked up the account book and flipped a few pages, thought for a while, and said: "I remember that there are still three 'heavenly silks' left in the treasury, which were rewarded by the palace in the old years, and they have not been used for tailoring, and they have not even opened the seal. And thou shalt take out two of them and put them on the bride price. Let me make a dress for the old lady, the third wife, and me. ”

Li Chang called a small servant in and asked him to go to the treasury to get it.

The eldest lady said again: "The Xue family has only now taken over the errand of embroidering clothes in the palace, and often walks around in front of the Queen Mother, which has the momentum of replacing the head of the Ye family's imperial embroidery back then." Although our family doesn't necessarily want to tie them up, but in the end, the two families are married, and one is prosperous and the other is lost, so we must handle this matter safely and securely. I heard that the third young master and the eldest young master of the Xue family are very diligent, you can also ask the third young master if you have time, what is the attitude of the Xue family towards this list, and we can adapt to it. ”

Li Chang said yes. When they had finished their deliberations, they withdrew.

Jin Mei poured a bowl of tea for the eldest lady and said, "Mrs. is so cautious, it can be seen that this young lady of the Xue family has Mrs. Will." ”

The eldest lady sighed: "Miss Xue is fine, I have only seen one or two sides." It's just that now there are only two royal embroidery left, and the business is becoming more and more difficult to do, and there are many people in the city who are red-eyed, desperately squeezing to the palace to procure the division, although they have robbed them of the errand of embroidered legs, to think about it, in the end, it is also a family, and it is always beneficial and harmless in the long run. It's just that their family has always been snobbish, and now the momentum is booming, and they can't afford to offend. I had to go carefully everywhere. ”

Jin Mei said with a smile: "Seeing that the competition from the Ye family has not been defeated, this Xue family has a lot of money." ”

"Who's to say it's not?" The eldest lady snorted and said, "I don't know why he is so prosperous!" ”

Jinmei was silent after hearing this, and only picked up the note on the table for a while.

The eldest lady said, "You can also help you take a look, but is there anything missing?" ”

Jin Meiqian said: "Mrs. is doing things, how can there be any omissions?" Besides, where would I look at this, I didn't laugh and lost my teeth. "Let it go here, seeing that the eldest lady smiled and didn't respond, she said again: "The day after tomorrow is the fifth day of the first month, and it should be the day when someone from Liu Mansion is hired?" ”

"Isn't it?" The eldest lady said, "I just finished explaining this before!" ”

The two had tea and greeted each other, and suddenly Li Changfu turned around again. He replied: "Mrs. Hui, there are only two 'Heavenly Silks' left in the treasury. ”

"Two horses?" The eldest lady locked her eyebrows, paused, picked up the closed account book and opened it, checked one item at a time, her eyes suddenly stopped somewhere, and after reading it, she said: "There are three horses clearly registered on this account, all of which were rewarded in the palace during the Lantern Festival last year, and it is clearly recorded on it, how can there be only two horses?" ”

Li Chang bent down: "There are indeed three horses registered on the account, but a few days ago, the old man went into the warehouse and took one." ”

"He took it?" The eldest lady suddenly raised her voice and asked, "What did he take it for?" ”

Li Chang was silent and stood with his head down.

Jin Mei thought of the new shirt on Aunt Ning that day, and suddenly knew it. looked at Li Chang, and said with a smile with the eldest lady: "Mrs. don't be anxious, I think it's because of this scarcity, and the master uses it for business." The eldest lady said angrily: "Even if you want to socialize, you have to talk to me, how can you act so arbitrarily?" Jin Mei persuaded: "In a hurry, or my wife happens to be absent, and I take it." ”

The eldest lady was angry here for a while, and waved her hand to Li Chang: "You go down!" ”