The incense courtyard is in the east of the Hou Mansion, and the Qingxi Residence is only separated by a wall, although it is not as good as the Xuan Changliang Hall over there, but it is also a neat courtyard. The Zhu family saw people in the main hall on weekdays, and after the people dispersed, the living room was in the second room of the warm pavilion on the east side.

She is more than 20 years younger than the pioneer Yang Ninghou Chen Yong, and now she is only sixty-four years old. Only now that I am old after all, those red, silver and red clothes when I was young are pressed under the box, and most of them are blue clothes on weekdays, lotus blue, stone blue, rain over the sky blue, Buddha head green, crow green, each piece has different styles, and occasionally going out on weekdays can also attract the admiration of many people.

There is no noble destiny inherited by her son-in-law in the capital, and no one lives as calmly as she does.

There is a warm kang in the window of the second room, but the ground floor is not as good as the eight chairs on the left and right in the main hall, there are only four chairs. Next to the east wall is a red sandalwood dragon magpie deer pattern dressing table, which is already an old object more than 40 years ago, looking round and unpretentious, revealing a kind of timeless age. Specially combed her hair is a companion Zhao Auntie that she brought from her mother's house, and now the young companion has become a mother-in-law, but this errand has never let others pass by. And Aunt Zhao's daughter, Mother Zheng, has become a daughter-in-law from a girl, and her daughter-in-law has become a mother, and she has always served by Zhu's side.

After combing his hair and inserting a mutton fat hosta between his sideburns, Zhu Shi saw that he was in good spirits in the mirror, so he nodded with satisfaction and said with a smile: "After so many years, your craftsmanship is still so good." It's a pity that your daughter is capable, but she didn't learn this mastery of combing her hair. You won't be able to comb your hair in the future, where can I find someone with such a craft? ”

Aunt Zhao listened to Zhu's praise, and was so happy that her waist was straight, and her pointed chin was slightly upturned, and then she glanced sideways at her daughter next to her, and then said: "As long as you comb your hair well, there is always someone who can do it, I haven't been idle all these years, and the girl who has learned this craft has gone in addition to the second and third rooms, and there are many people in the prince's mansion who have come to learn, and now they are all serving closely by the master's side." She didn't care if she didn't learn this, it was best to be able to do things for the old lady. ”

Zhu nodded, stood up with the support of Zheng's mother, and waited until the east end of the kang was seated, she smiled slightly: "The Zheng family is with you, you are calm, you are reliable, and you have always been my right-hand man." She used to be a first-class girl in my house, and now which of the big and small people in my house was not trained by her hands? ”

One is the master, the other is the mother, and Zheng's mother, who was the most well-behaved outside in the past, will naturally not interject indiscriminately at this time. Zhu pointed to a brocade pier and asked Aunt Zhao to sit down, the three of the master and servant said a conversation, Zheng's mother saw that Aunt Zhao gradually spoke a little upside down, knowing that she was old, although she was so strong, but after all, she was not in good spirits, and she was busy trying to divert the topic from the side, so it was easy for her mother to think of her grandson at home, and Aunt Zhao came back to her senses and sat for a while before retiring.

Zheng's mother personally sent people all the way to the door of the Tatexiang Courtyard, and when she came back, she saw the two first-class girls Jade Peony and Green Calyx busy in the main hall, so she went straight into the east room, and saw Zhu's look melancholy, so she hurriedly splashed the half-cold tea on the kang table, and re-brewed the tea and sent it. Zhu's trace of distraction came and went quickly, and when he came back to his senses, he took a sip of tea, and then looked up and asked, "You say, what's going on with the third child, why did you let that woman come back alone?" ”

"Old lady, you've guessed everything, why bother asking me?" Mother Zheng stood next to the Zhu family, and said softly, "Isn't it because the Weiguo family has added a concubine now?" ”

Zhu sneered and said: "That's right, although Wei Guogong was a national prince before, but after all, this title is post-sealed, and it is not as good as us as the founding heroes, so I insisted that the woman was married to the third child without telling him, of course the third child has no way, that is, Wei Guogong, far away in southern Xinjiang, after all, he is beyond the reach of the whip." But now it's different, Wei Guogong's sister, who has always been invisible, suddenly became a concubine, and he returned to the capital, and King Lu, who was still young, suddenly became hot. The concubine is that woman's cousin, she endured so hard before, and now when she comes back, she doesn't dare to show her face if she comes back. Besides, the third is going to be promoted, so I have to give her three points of thin noodles, right? ”

Speaking of this, Zhu instinctively reached out to pat the kang table, but his right hand finally stopped in mid-air, and then slowly retracted it and put the tea cup in his hand again. After closing her eyes and muttering for a moment, she spoke: "You say, if the third child comes back, this time the second child will make trouble, will he take the opportunity to muddy the water?" ”

"Don't worry, the old lady is orderly, and Yunnan is 108,000 miles away from Beijing, how can the third master come back so soon! You have the help of the Duchess of Korea and Princess Jin, and everything in this family is in the palm of your hand, so why bother with that woman? Even if she has an identity, she is a concubine if she says it well, and she can't say it well, that is, a puppy and a kitten are almost the same, and she can't jump up. It's the long room, you really decided to let the fourth young master of the long room ...... I'm afraid it's really not so certain. ”

"If you're not sure, you can only try. The second daughter-in-law is not only brainless, but also too greedy. She didn't want to think about it, it was the emperor's will at the beginning, her man's Lu Mi had to allocate 100 stones to the long house every year, she even dared to deduct this, when did she pay all the expenses of the long house? There are two sisters and brothers in the long room, and Brother Yan is still young, but the third girl looks at it as a smart person, and she actually knows that she can use your strength to eliminate the second daughter-in-law's calculations, and getting a good family is arm help. I don't expect them to be filial, I can only see how my grandson is...... After all, it's okay if the boss is dead, and that matter must be in the hearts of the second and third children. Especially the third child, his temperament is completely with his old son, how long has he stayed in Beijing after growing up? If it weren't for that incident......"

Although it has been several years in the past, when Zhu mentioned this, Zheng's mother still couldn't help but jump her eyelids, and swallowed her saliva vigorously, which finally calmed down. She didn't dare to continue the topic, and hurriedly diverted to talk about some trivial matters, and at this moment, a crisp copper bell came from outside, followed by the voice of the green calyx.

"Old lady, Tang Shun's family has returned from the Jin Palace."

Tang Shun's family is Zhenlong's mother, who was originally in charge of the gifts in various mansions, but now although Zhenlong was asked by Princess Jin, since she still has no name and no points, this year's New Year's gift is naturally given by her. After walking around the palace, she saw that Zhenlong beside the princess was a little more decent than the one at home, and the golden bead was only seen on the master, and she was extremely happy. After repaying Mrs. Ma, she came here again to kowtow to the Zhu family, with a happy expression.

Zhenlong was by the side of Princess Jin, and the Zhu family naturally no longer had to worry about the three shops managed by her father Tang Shun, so she talked to Tang Shun's family with a warm smile on her face. When the people left, Zheng's mother came in immediately, but she didn't say anything, only made a look, Zhu understood, moved the pillow, and then crooked on the kang, so Zheng's mother personally took the beauty hammer and beat her legs, and after a while, there was some movement outside, and then someone picked up the small blue flower curtain.

It was Mrs. Ma who crossed the threshold. Seeing that Zhu was dozing off on the kang, she hesitated for a moment, and the green calyx behind followed the door, took the beauty hammer in Zheng's mother's hand, and half-knelt under the kang to beat Zhu's legs. At this time, Zheng's mother stood up and stepped forward to salute Mrs. Ma.

"Just let the girls do this, Mother Zheng, you are busy all day long, you should also rest and rest."

Mrs. Ma said softly, and Mother Zheng naturally said that it was a matter of internal affairs, turned around and glanced at the kang again, and then walked out of the house with Mrs. Ma and talked behind the screen in the main hall. Mrs. Ma first mentioned the matter of giving gifts for the New Year's Day, and after a while, she considered it and said: "The first two girls in the family, the three girls, the four girls, and the five girls are all about the same age, only the difference is a month, especially the second girl, and the New Year will be fifteen, and the marriage has been dragged on and on, I don't know what the old lady's idea is." ”

"The second lady is the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Yangning, and her status is noble, is it possible that Mrs. Cheng is still worried that she will not be a good person?" Mother Zheng knew that this was for the plum blossom appreciation on the day of the Lantern Festival, but her face became more and more smiling, "The first few families who proposed marriage, that is, the old lady is willing, I think the lady must be unwilling, some are not able to inherit the title, some are simply concubines, some have a bad reputation in the family, and some are a lot of girls in the house. As for the other ladies, they didn't have to go past their sister, ma'am, didn't you? ”

Mrs. Ma smiled as she spoke. Think about it, Chen Bing is a descendant, his father is Yangninghou, and the girls in the family are all noble, but she is not honored. It's just that this is true, but she just got some news, so she glanced at the main hall, and saw that the big and small girls had already avoided it, so she lowered her voice: "Mother Zheng, I will also tell you the truth, I am not afraid of anything else, the most afraid is that the family came to the door at the beginning." In case they come up with the voucher......"

Before she finished speaking, Zheng's mother raised her eyebrows and said, "Certificate, what certificate?" This pro-family originally paid attention to the right person, what kind of brand name are they now, and they dare to come to the door to ask to marry the eldest lady of Yangning Hou? Besides, they are all extremely ruined people, and that thing may have been left behind a long time ago. At the beginning, it was the old marquis's words after drinking, and he just gave a piece of jade. ”

Mrs. Ma clutched the handkerchief and hesitated for a long time, and then she muttered: "I heard that the family went to the capital with Wei Guogong and Aunt Luo, and now they are only afraid that they are renting a house to settle down." ”

"What did you say?" Mother Zheng suddenly changed color, and she actually forgot the honorific title, until Mrs. Ma said it again, she gradually calmed down, thought for a while, then nodded and said, "I will find a time to return to the old lady in this matter, Mrs. relax first." I went to my relatives a few more times during the New Year, and the old lady was tired, so don't mention this for the time being. ”

Although she was very unhappy with Zheng's mother's tone, Mrs. Ma didn't dare to show her face, and she also accompanied her with a lot of good words. When she came out of the Lotus Courtyard, she snorted angrily, and then her face relaxed again. Only Yu doesn't have documentary evidence, it's really not good, just pick one of the girls in the family, and I'm afraid that I won't be able to send away the poor family? Besides, the eldest lady from the Hou Mansion, this may not be only Chen Bing, who is from her own family, isn't there another one in the long room?

PS: Thanks to Sasa, Parallel to Dreams, Season of Grass, Sophy.C., and Soul Cat for your tips. Thanks to forever0808, NP Half Cloud, qswfluoulo, and book friends 100423094832512 for their evaluation votes!