[Pride and Prejudice] Rich Lady

Mr. Jared will stay in Longbourne for a few more days, waiting for a friend of his who is a seed merchant to join him, and then go to Hansford together to get busy with starting a sewing machine factory.Mr. Jared’s other big aristocratic investor was introduced to him by his friend. That big aristocrat has a vast land, and the seed merchant has been serving him since his ancestors and is very trusted.

"My friend will bring many crop seeds, and if necessary, he can also get rare saplings and flower seedlings." Mr. Jared said that her friend often travels to various places to search for good seeds and rare plants for his benefactor .

"He also went to India and America, and almost died of illness on the ship, but he managed to bring back some good seeds, which won the favor of Mr. Earl. Mr. Earl loves plants and all new things. He is a great man my lord," he said.

Elizabeth thanked him gratefully. The friendship of a seed merchant was so important to the Bennet family's farm.

"It's nothing, Miss Elizabeth, you help me more."

Mr. Bennet and Mr. Jared talked happily, and the father admitted that he was a good agent.Mr. Bennet is rarely nosy. Although he has no intention of marrying his daughter to Mr. Jared, he is willing to introduce him to a gentleman who has a well-educated daughter. "Mr. Jared needs a wife to take care of him. You can see that he has only been in Longbourn for two days, and he has become much more energetic. When he first came to visit, I almost thought he was a deserted island. Clothes, thinner than the drunks in town."

Mr. Bennet has a fishing friend who is highly skilled and humorous.There is a 27-year-old daughter in his family who is still unmarried, and Mr. Bennet thinks that Mr. Jared is a good match.

This morning, Elizabeth received a valuable gift, which was personally delivered by the drug boy of the Kensington Chinese Medicine Store.

"Is this a letter? The letter paper is so beautiful, even the wrapping paper is different from ours."

"This is the envelope and the paper." Elizabeth hurriedly explained, then opened the letter and read it carefully.

The letter was written by that doctor Xue. In the letter, he thanked Elizabeth for her silent prescription, saying that he was going back to China after seeing Mrs. Bennet for a follow-up visit, but the whole Mingzhen Hall would remember her affection. They are willing to help her if she needs it.Moreover, the envoy of the Ming Dynasty also heard about her, and was very grateful and happy, and the wife of the envoy hoped to invite her to visit her.The letter also asked her tactfully, hoping that she could recall the few prescriptions she had read from somewhere, and whether she could write something else. They were willing to thank her with the greatest sincerity if they were the same.

Elizabeth didn't intend to write any more at all, and it was obvious that she deliberately aroused suspicion if she wrote any more.In particular, finding Longborn in Mingzhen Hall made Elizabeth even more alarmed and frightened. There have never been many things in this world where people are guilty of their own crimes.

What Dr. Xue sent was a stack of books from the Ming Dynasty and the Four Treasures of the Study. Not to mention the precious pens, inks, papers and inkstones, but these books with clear printing and pictures are far from comparable to those in the store.There is also a nanmu box, which the drug boy introduced as the makeup box of the ladies of the Ming Dynasty. The top layer is a blue and white porcelain vase of the same color, and the lower two layers are a complete set of Ming Dynasty jewelry such as hairpins, hairpins, pendants, and rings.This is the ceremony of the Ming Dynasty envoy.Elizabeth opened it and took a look. The jewels and the housekeeper's wife only had time to dazzle her and the housekeeper's eyes, and Elizabeth quickly closed the makeup box.

"Miss Elizabeth, I suddenly remembered where I heard about Atwood." Mr. Jared came to visit Mr. Bennet early and talked with him about some local news. Mr. Bennet mentioned Nelson Atwood. Twowood was in trouble, and Mr. Jared suddenly remembered an old incident from a few months ago.

"Miss Elizabeth, you..." Mr. Jared's eyes flickered. He must pay more attention to this lady. Who would have thought that a lady from a squire's family would have friends from Ming Dynasty, and they seemed very close.

Elizabeth put away the letter and ordered Leah to ask the medicine boy to rest in the small lounge next to the living room. She wrote a reply later and had to ask him to take it back.

Mrs. Hill personally carried the heavy nanmu box to Miss Elizabeth's bedroom on the second floor. She walked tremblingly, taking small steps, for fear that the box would fall if she walked unsteadily.Mary looked at the two elder sisters, and consciously led the younger sisters upstairs who still wanted to ask questions.

"Mr. Jared, you mean that the eldest son of the Atwood family was a highwayman? How did he get away with it?"

Mr. Jared was very embarrassed, and he said: "He pretended to be so pitiful! And I received a letter from Viscountess Stirling about the matter that Miss Laura discussed with you. He begged for mercy, and his friends agreed to let him go. Little Atwood seemed very grateful. He not only told us his name, but also said that he would go to his relatives and never do bad things again. His The relation had some reputation in my old county, so I didn't think of it until Mr Bennet mentioned Mrs Atwood Jr."

Elizabeth patted her forehead: "So you rushed to London because of the entrustment of me and Laura, so you didn't turn Little Atwood to the sheriff, but let him go instead?"

This is really grotesque, absurd and dumbfounding.

Elizabeth felt that this seemed to be a circle, and she had nothing to say: if she hadn't woken up at the Bennet's house, the real Elizabeth would not have wanted to go to Taurice College, and would not have met like-minded Laura C. Reeve; without the two of them helping each other and hitting it off, and without having Mr. Jared as an agent; and Mr. Jared, of course, needn't rush on his way as if he seized a chance to turn himself around, then whether it is them or anyone else , Little Atwood was caught, and the end of no intercession would naturally be questioned and imprisoned; it is naturally impossible for the criminal to seduce the granddaughter of a relative to obtain that property; Atwood, who has no inheritance property, will never come back to Meryton . . . Life in Longborn would remain uneventful.

"So, I brought this on?" Elizabeth whispered to herself.

Jane beside him exclaimed: "It didn't take long! After Little Atwood married the granddaughter of a relative's family and inherited the property - he returned to Meryton immediately?"

Goosebumps ran down Elizabeth's and Jane's spines, and the sisters thought of one thing at the same time: How much more vengeful is the Atwood family?It is precisely because the people who hate the town work together to drive away their family that they can't wait to come back to show off their wealth and persecute Mrs. Brown who bought his shop.

The Atwoods had no regard for decency in the town, and Meryton was much less safe because of the rogue friends the family had attracted.Old Atwood's second son was always pestering Miss King, regardless of Mr. King's breaking off with his family.The youngest son, Nelson Atwood, is said to have moved on after he failed to propose to a wealthy widow in a neighboring town. If Mrs. Bradley hadn't caused him a lot of trouble, the Bennet family would have given him away. Jane went to Uncle Gardiner's house, lest he should pester her.

Elizabeth frowned. It turned out that she was not in a hurry to 'repay' this family, but wanted to wait for him to be rampant for a while. With the residents' anger, this family will not be arrogant for too long.

But now it seems that the character and lower limit of the Atwood family is overestimated. This is a cancer that may explode at any time - can little Atwood capture the heart of a relative's girl in a short period of time?This was unreasonable, and it was more probable that they had plotted against the poor girl, discredited her, and brought the relatives to their knees, as Mrs. Darcy remembered Wickham doing to Lydia.

So what would they do with the girls next door?Such as Miss Jin, such as Jane.Two unmarried young girls are no match for a savage widow.

Now well-educated ladies read Shakespeare. That famous saying has been circulating for 200 years: "Chastity is the only honor of a virgin, and fame is a woman's greatest legacy." It is enough to see the moral requirements of conservative England for ladies. .

Jane tried to keep calm, and she would have liked to tell Lizzie about the guests they had met on their previous walk.

Elizabeth's mind was spinning quickly. Mr. Jared and his party could serve as witnesses to Atwood Jr.'s crimes and bring their family back to their original shape, but the premise of all this was that they had enough power, otherwise it would just be a waste of time.Longborn itself does not have the conditions, so where can I get help?

Laura, the Countess, and Viscountess Stirling quickly flashed through her mind... Mr. Darcy's face was forgotten in a flash, and Mr. Bingley didn't even have a chance to flash past.

Finally...Elizabeth's eyes darkened, and she whispered to Lia to ask the medicine boy to come over.

That little drug boy was very clever. He was an apprentice of Dr. Xue. Elizabeth said: "Please tell Mr. Xue, I am very sorry, but I really don't remember anything else. You know many of your terms. I don't understand them at all. What, I just remembered the last time my husband mentioned the names of the medicines. I can’t write down all the miscellaneous essays I remember.”

Elizabeth told him that she has been involved in a lot of things recently, but she will read the books sent by Dr. Xue carefully in her spare time, and if she thinks about it again, she will send them a letter immediately.He also mentioned that they have to go out less recently, and next time Mrs. Bennet will go to the pharmacy by herself and ask the drug boy to take her thanks.

"It takes half a day from Longbourn to Kensington, and it will be dark to arrive after a little delay, which is a bit unsafe," she said.

The carriage of the pharmacy was parked at the feed yard in Longborn, and the accompanying coachman and entourage had just visited Mr. Bennet, so there was no need to worry about safety.

Yaotong hurriedly thanked the young lady for her thoughtfulness, and he said with a smile: "My master wants to thank the young lady in person again before returning to China. I hope Miss Elizabeth will give me a chance."

"Besides, the medical book says, 'The way to cultivate one's character is to always desire a little work'. Now is a good time to go out for activities. Ladies, you can go out with confidence."

Yaotong didn't stay long, and soon the exotic carriage left Longborn.

Except for the final farewell, they all spoke Ming Dynasty official dialect in one corner of the living room, and Mr. Jared chatted with Jane on the other side, thinking more about the Bennet family.

Soon after the medicine boy left, Mr. Jared was invited by Mr. Bennet to go fishing in the lake behind Longbourn.They had some details of the contract to discuss, and in this connection Mr. Phillips gave the brother-in-law many useful advice.

"Don't worry, dear Jane, I don't think you will have to go to Uncle Gardner's for a while, and the matter will be settled soon," said Elizabeth.

At dinner, Mrs. Bennet came back from visiting friends, looking very happy, but because of Mr. Jared, she barely suppressed this excitement, and assumed the hostess's style, entertaining the guests with enthusiasm and restraint.

After Mr. Jared left, he shouted: "Mrs. Ron told me that Netherfield is rented out at a very high price. The new owner is a decent rich unmarried gentleman. God, this is very good." Already!"

She looked at Jane: "Mrs. Ron said that you met a distinguished guest when you were walking before. My dear Jane, why didn't you tell mom? This is simply a good opportunity for you. I dare say, he must have never seen someone bigger than you." You still want a charming lady!"

Jane replied coldly: "I have met it, more than once. The gentleman my mother mentioned, his sister impressed me very much! I patronized the young lady and didn't pay much attention to her brother."

"My God, you..."

Before her mother complained, Jane continued: "The last time we met, she not only disliked Meryton as a country place, but also bullied Lizzie and Mary. She was very rude. If my mother was talking about Mr. Bingley, I was only afraid that he would My sister bullies us again, how can I care about this stranger? Besides, Mr. Bingley has never done his duty of admonishing and guiding his sister, and I am very unwilling to get too close to such a person."

"Bullying? Disgusting!" cried Mrs. Bennet.

Elizabeth also looked at her sister. Jane is really a considerate and considerate girl. She guessed something from Miss Bingley's fierce expressions twice in a row.

"I met Mr. Clark once, and I didn't know until he asked me to greet Mary." Jane told her sister in a low voice.

Mrs. Bennet, despondent, exclaimed, "It is a great defect that a lovely gentleman with four thousand pounds a year should have a nasty sister," without urging Mr. Bennet to visit his new neighbour.

For two consecutive days, Mrs. Bennet was a little unhappy, especially when she heard that Mr. King and Sir Lucas had visited their new neighbors. Mr. Bingley was very polite, and he paid them a return visit politely.So the wives and ladies were able to visit their new neighbours.Longborne alone, as Mr. Bennet did not visit, and Mr. Bingley was a bachelor, there was no hostess for Mrs. Bennet, so neither ladies nor girls could go to Netherfield's gate.

Mrs. Rowan also came to see Mrs. Bennet herself, thinking she was ill, and Mrs. Rowan boasted how lively, friendly and polite Mr. Bingley was, and he praised Mrs. Rowan's two nieces.Mrs. Rowan was obviously very pleased with herself. She sat in Longbourn for half a day before going home.

But she also brought back a big news: Nelson Atwood was fascinated by Miss Bingley, and he pursued this handsome and wealthy lady with great fanfare.

The Longborn family had no intention of getting close to Netherfield, but something happened that caught everyone's eyeballs: the Bingley family had just moved here, and they were planning to hold a dance in Netherfield, and they even ordered the servant to send the invitation The post was delivered to the Bennet House.

Mrs. Bennet is sad and elated, while Jane is not in high spirits.Not to mention Elizabeth, she has not yet entered the social world, and no matter how lively this kind of ball is, she will not be part of it.

That night, Jian Jian attended the ball in Netherfield with his parents.Elizabeth always wanted to say something to her sister, but she didn't know what to say, so she had to be careful and stay away from the Atwood family.

"If I guess correctly, it will be fine soon." She comforted her worried sister.

"That Miss Bingley, with her chin raised in contempt! And her brother, who invited Charlotte for the opening dance, is he blind? My brief is a hundred times better! Dancing all the time, no one Busier than him!" complained Mrs. Bennet as soon as she got home.

"It's a good thing Jane turned down his impolite second invitation!" Mrs. Bennet said angrily. "Didn't he know you can't dance twice at the same ball?"

"His friend is more disciplined than him. Although he doesn't dance, he doesn't provoke girls all over the dance floor!" Mrs. Bennet sighed, and she became proud again: "It's a pity that Mr. Talk to him, except us, Mr. Bennet."

"It's a pity that I don't know his income. As long as he can earn two thousand pounds a year, he is more suitable for Jane than Mr. Bingley."

Elizabeth was surprised to find that her mother was complaining that Mr. Bingley asked Jane to dance twice.You must know that this is something that Mrs. Bennet has been showing off for a long time in my memory, because according to the current customs, every dance partner at the ball has to change partners, except for those who are already engaged. Men and women can only dance once together.Mr. Bingley's second invitation to Jane was almost an outpouring of affection.

Jane was a little out of her mind, and she secretly told her sister: "Atwood, I mean Nelson Atwood, he is so scary, every time he looks at me, I can't breathe."

It happened that Mr. Bingley wanted to invite her for the second time. After she refused, it was logical that she no longer had to accept other men's invitations, and could hide away.

"Mr. Bingley was very rude, but I was grateful to him. I refused to avoid dancing with Atwood."

The day after Netherfield's ball, good news came.Mr. Jared's seed merchant friends came to visit Longbourn, and the Atwoods were taken away by the Hertfordshire sheriffs and guards, allegedly on several serious charges of robbery and deceitful inheritance.

The day before, the Atwood family also attended the ball at Netherfield Manor in a high-profile manner, and Nelson showed great hospitality to Miss Bingley.Jane said that although Miss Bingley didn't pay much attention to it, she obviously enjoyed his pursuit.

Atwood has been around Miss Bingley, and Jane is so frightened that she avoids their family far away.

The author has something to say: Mr. Bingley is self-defeating, and Jane wishes to stay far away.

But Mr. Darcy was so angry that he became a puffer fish. His Miss Surprise didn't show up at the ball at all, and he carefully prepared to feed all the dogs.

Note: "The way of cultivating one's character, always wanting to do little work" comes from Sun Simiao's "Thousands of Gold Prescriptions";

"Chastity is the only honor of a virgin, and fame is the greatest legacy of a woman." - Shakespeare's "Finally Married".