[Tess of the D'Urbervilles] Concubine Wan Gui counterattacks the doormat

D'Urberville Manor is located in a place called Hunting Castle six kilometers away from the village. If you take a carriage, you can reach it in about two hours.At the same time, Mrs. Durbeyfield has a strong ability to act. On the second day after the empress let go, she asked the postman's carriage passing through the village in the morning to deliver the message to the d'Urberville Manor, and when the sun was still very strong in the afternoon, the manor So they sent someone over.

It was Mr. Groby, the butler of the estate.

He is a middle-aged man in his 50s.Because he manages old Mrs. d'Urberville's chicken farm well, he has won the favor and trust of the old lady who has poultry control.

"...So, Mr. Groby's coming to pick up your mother means that Mrs. d'Urberville attaches great importance to you!" Lisa was sitting by the bed in the attic at the moment, analyzing for her mother.But at the same time, she was very worried, "Ma'am, are you sure you want to marry that rapist Alec?"

Wan Zhen'er's hand was resting on her stomach and stroking back and forth, and then she opened her lips slightly when she heard the words, and said slowly: "How can my child become an illegitimate child that ethics despise?"

"But, that man's conduct..." Lisa stopped suddenly. The etiquette of this era is indeed very strict on women.She vaguely remembered in the book that because her little nephew was an illegitimate child, he was not eligible to be baptized by a priest, and he could not even erect a monument after death, and could only be buried with death row prisoners and alcoholics.Thinking of this, Lisa glanced at the lady, and thought to herself, in fact, this lady is not a good person, and her methods are even more ruthless. Alec married her, and I don't know whose misfortune it is.

So, in fact, the empress's marriage to Alec is not as bad as she imagined, is it?What's more, this little nephew who stayed in the mother's womb has already turned eight months, and if his mother doesn't find his father, he will really become an illegitimate child!

"Honey, are the salutes all packed?" Mrs. Durbeyfield was in a very happy mood today. When she opened the door and came in, she kept smiling. "Mr. Groby has been waiting for a long time. He is about to leave, otherwise he might not be able to make it back before dinner."

She saw that the empress was wearing a long white dress made of fine gauze, with her waist propped up high, and a long black coat over it, which fully revealed her plump figure due to pregnancy, and she couldn't help being even happier.

She was so proud to see her daughter so beautiful, looked at it like a painter admiring his own work, and exclaimed, "Oh, my dear, you are so pretty, I suppose Master Alec must see you." Will be instantly charmed by you. Pity to hear from Mr Groby that he's gone to London, or he must have come to fetch you himself..."

"Okay, mom, my sister is going downstairs now." Lisa couldn't help interrupting Mrs. Durbeyfield's words. With one hand, she helped the mother lift the box containing a few clothes, and with the other hand, she was about to go downstairs. .

Mrs. Durbeyfield hastily picked up the khaki round-brimmed hat in her hand, put it on and fastened the ribbon for her mother.

Seeing the empress and the others going downstairs, the whole family of children crowded to the stairs and asked in one go: "Sister, are you going to marry that rich cousin?"

"Will he still give us horses and dolls?"

"My sister will have many, many beautiful clothes to wear, won't she?"

"..."

Mr. Groby was still here, and Mr. Durbeyfield, feeling ashamed at the behavior of the children, pushed the children away with half embarrassment and half annoyance, saying: "Go away, go away, and let your sister get into the carriage."

At this time, Lisa had already handed the empress's luggage to the young man in a well-equipped two-wheeled carriage parked at the door with shiny paint. Mr. Groby got into the car, then stretched out his hand to the empress, and carefully moved the luggage to the empress. She helped up.

After the empress was done in the carriage, she looked sideways at the relatives who had only been together for three days standing at the door.

Mr. Durbeyfield had the opportunity to drink some wine because he was entertaining Mr. Groby. His dark bearded face was a little red, but his eyes were unconsciously moist when he looked at her. Seeing his mother looking at him, he stretched out Years of hard work and dirty fingernails waved, "Let's go, my Tess..." Mrs. Durbeyfield was a little choked up, and she reached out to hold Mr. Durbeyfield's arm. The children were already silent. He came down and looked at her silently, no one spoke.

Lisa stepped forward and waved to the empress, and the empress lowered her body, and Lisa whispered in her ear: "Young lady, come on, try to teach Alec well!"

Although Wan Zhen'er didn't know what "refueling" was, she probably understood it.She smiled slightly, straightened up, and waved lightly at them.

The driver sitting in front driving the carriage turned his head when he saw Mr. Groby nodding, and with a swipe of his whip, the carriage started slowly.The whole family just watched the carriage go away, gradually turning into a black spot and disappearing under the ridge.

In order to take care of the pregnant lady, the coachman drove the carriage slowly and steadily.A vast landscape spread around them, with the green valley behind where Tess had grown up, and the endless fields ahead.In this way they climbed over the top of the hill and down the foot to the straight road and drove straight on.

Undoubtedly, all the scenery and things here are strange and novel to Wan Zhener.She has been quietly observing the surrounding situation.From time to time, she saw a group of people mowing the grass with a red machine, and the grass was neatly and easily harvested where the machine buzzed the aisle; she saw a large group of girls in long white dresses holding hands in a circle, There was dancing on the hillside, and there were some men blowing unknown musical instruments beside them, with their chins leaning on the musical instruments, slowly making beautiful and pleasant sounds; she saw a few people carrying a coffin, and in front of the team was a An old man in a black robe, holding a thick book piously, muttering to himself as he walked...

"...Miss Durbeyfield? Miss Durbeyfield!" Wan Zhen'er came back to her senses, and heard Mr. Groby sitting next to her calling her.

"Sir, what's the matter?" Wan Zhen'er asked, showing a shallow and slightly shy smile. From Mr. Groby's point of view, she was very uneasy now.

Looking at this young girl who could be his daughter, his heart suddenly softened, and he reminded softly: "The D'Urberville Manor is coming soon."

He hadn't seen Tess for nearly eight months, and he didn't expect her to appear in such a posture when he saw her again. He couldn't help but feel sympathy for what happened to her. Is it a gift from the Lord or is it a beautiful face that grows on poor country girls? What about punishment?

Wan Zhen'er could feel the pity and sympathy from the housekeeper beside her. She snorted secretly in her heart, but on the surface she still pretended to be terrified but tried her best to be calm.

There is a kind of person, when she is not able to fully protect herself, she must know how to reduce her own sense of existence, so as to preserve herself with the wings of others.This is the lesson she learned with blood and tears when Zhu Jianshen's uncle, Emperor Daizong, was in power.It's a pity that the man she swore to protect with her own life turned her back on her when he was able to gain power. For a ridiculous reason, he did not hesitate to favor one woman after another, but put her among them. Zhong fought alone, and even cut off her wings cruelly in order to clear away the obstacles for the crown prince who had stolen the birth to inherit the throne.The so-called long-lasting favor is really ironic!

She knew the gap between herself and Zhu Jianshen very early on, but when he said he loved her, she still agreed, because she wanted to try and see if he was really as affectionate as he said.She enjoyed his love unscrupulously, but when she also began to give her sincerity, he changed.He is becoming more and more like a real emperor, more and more ruthless, and her reckless end of flying moths into the flames is heartbreaking!In the eight years since she asked to close the palace, Wan Zhen'er's heart still hurts every time she thinks of Zhu Jianshen. Maybe she still has illusions about him, or maybe it's more because she is unwilling to be reconciled to the man she raised so ruthlessly abandoned her , until the moment of her death, she still hadn't seen him come to confess, and then she completely gave up.She wanted to use this method to make his heart hurt, but the one who was really tormented was only herself.

Wan Zhen'er thought coldly, what is a man and what is love? Isn't the lesson from her previous life not enough to impress her?Just because she doesn't care anymore, it's the same to marry anyone, that's why she is willing to marry the man whom the original owner Tess tried hard to escape.

The carriage rattled forward, just like Wan Zhen'er's fate, heading in a brand new and unknown direction. There may be thorns and twists and turns in the road ahead, but I believe these will not be difficult for this tough woman.

*****

In a bright living room on the ground floor of the manor house, a gray-haired old woman in a wide-brimmed hat is sitting comfortably in an armchair, her hands On the back of a rooster in my arms, I stroked it back and forth, from its beak, comb, wings, belly, and claws, up and down carefully several times before stopping with satisfaction.

"Strutter is in good spirits today," said the old woman.

Wan Zhen'er, who had been standing by the side, guessed that what she was talking about was the cock in her hand.

"Yes, ma'am," said Groby the butler.

"Did an extra person come in here just now? It's rare that Strut and the others weren't surprised." Hearing this, Wan Zhen'er noticed that the old woman's eyes seemed to be blind.

"It's not a stranger, madam, but Miss Tess Durbeyfield," explained Mr. Groby.

The old woman's originally peaceful face suddenly became ugly, and her tone was a bit sharp: "Grobby, you should take her to Mr. Alec d'Urberville's room, not to me!"

As if accustomed to the old woman's capricious temper, Groby took off his hat and put it on his chest, bowed his head and said, "Yes, ma'am."

"Come with me, Miss Durbeyfield." Groby said politely to Wan Zhen'er.

Wan Zhen'er bowed her head and obediently followed him out of the room.

Groby led the way, and they went directly to the second floor.

"Miss Durbeyfield, since Master Alec hasn't come back yet, and Madam has always been unwilling to take care of the Master's affairs, so you will temporarily stay in the guest room next to the Master's bedroom, and make arrangements when the Master comes back. You can see that ?"

Wan Zhen'er breathed a sigh of relief secretly, and said, "I am very willing, sir." I heard that Tess lived in the old room of the chicken coop when she came here to work here before, and she didn't want to live with the chickens.

Mr. Groby opened the door of the room for her and said, "Then please rest first, and the maid will come and call you after dinner time."

Mr Groby bowed and turned away.

"Mr. Butler," he turned around in response, seeing Wan Zhen'er smiling gratefully at him, "Thank you very much, sir."

Mr. Butler paused and said, "My honor, miss."

Wan Zhen'er leaned against the door and watched his figure gradually disappear around the corner of the stairs before turning back to her room.