The Royal Merchant of the Red Chamber

Mrs. Xue was doing needlework in Huanxia, ​​and sitting beside her was a five or six-year-old girl, who was as cute as a jade snow dumpling, with smooth muscles and bones, a face like a silver basin, eyes like water apricots, and thick eyelashes flickering. There are fan-shaped shadows under the eyelids.Suddenly asked: "Mom, it's so late, why hasn't brother come back?"

The little buns that look like snow dumplings have to look like grown-ups.The childish appearance of frowning made Mrs. Xue couldn't help laughing out loud.

Stretching out her hands and gently pinching the girl's face, Mrs. Xue said, "Does Baochai miss your brother?"

"My brother said that he would take me out to play today, but he ran away and disappeared." Xue Baochai said with her nose tight, with a look of aggrieved dissatisfaction. "I'm at home by myself, bored to death."

"You're a girl! Naturally, it's different from your brother. It's good to be a knitting lady at home every day. Which girl do you think goes out to run all over the mountains every day?" Mrs. Xue persuaded softly: "You must know that women No talent is virtue, and after marrying into your husband's family in the future, it will not be a joke if the family's female celebrities can do it well."

"That's not true!" Xue Baochai retorted with a wrinkled face: "That's not what my brother said. My brother said that we should walk more and see more. When our eyes widen, our hearts will naturally widen, so we won't be constrained by trivial matters. Daddy It is also said that my reading and writing skills are no less than that of men. Brother Qianer also said that if I continue to work hard, tomorrow he will hand over his rouge shop to me for management.”

When Mrs. Xue heard this, she couldn't help but turn pale with shock. "When did he tell you, why don't I know?"

"It was the day before yesterday, when my husband was testing our studies. I finished all the homework assigned by my husband, and recited all the articles I learned before. My brother said that I am talented, so I don't have to waste my talent in the room. He said that he wanted to dial Let me practice my hands in a shop, so that I can be independent in the future."

"You're still on your own!" Mrs. Xue sounded annoyed and amused, and tapped Xue Baochai's plump forehead lightly with her fingertips, "Your brother has always been unrestrained, and doesn't pay attention to any manners. You can learn from him." What is this for? Besides, although we are merchants, we have different backgrounds after all, and our daughters are all brought up by ladies, if it is rumored that our family treats our daughter as a steward, won't we be laughed at?"

"It's not in charge, it's...Xi Yi (CEO). The power is great!" Baochai thought hard, and then remembered what Xue Pan said.

"What are you talking about..." Mrs. Xue shook her head, put the needle and thread in her hand aside, then picked up Baochai and put it on her lap, and said softly: "Listen to the mother, girls just need to do knitting." .If you really want to learn, my mother will teach you how to manage the house tomorrow, but don't go out and show your face (to show your face), you don't have to make people laugh."

"But—" Baochai pouted, just about to refute.There was a commotion outside.Baochai's eyes lit up, and she called out, "It's my brother who's back."

After speaking, he jumped to the ground.He ran quickly towards the front hall with two short legs.While running, he shouted: "Brother is back, brother is back..."

Madam Xue stood up angrily and hurriedly followed closely behind, and said loudly: "Go slowly, you don't have the stability of a lady."

As she said that, she gave another look at the nurse and maid standing beside her. "They're all wooden people, so hurry up and catch up. If my sister falls, it's all your fault."

Several maidservants immediately chased and ran forward.

Just as Xue Pan brought Fourth Master Long and his party into the courtyard, he felt a gust of wind blowing from the front, and then his arms sank, and someone called out crisply: "Brother is back."

"Hey!" Xue Pan held Baochai in his arms with difficulty, and said with a smirk, "Why is it sinking again. If this continues, I won't be able to marry in the future."

Xue Baochai pouted dissatisfiedly when she heard the words, "I am not sinking."

"Not sinking? Why can't I hold it if it's not sinking?" Xue Pan said, carefully placing the person on the ground.He touched the top of Baochai's head.

"Huh!" Xue Baochai couldn't say no to Xue Pan, wrinkling her nose and snorting coldly.Fourth Master Long, who glanced aside but smiled silently, could not help but tilt his head, and Fox asked, "Who are you?"

Only then did Xue Pan remember that there was someone next to him!Immediately introduced: "This is a friend I met outside, you can call him... Fourth brother!"

Turning back to Fourth Master Long again, he said, "This is my sister, Baochai."

Xue Baochai smiled sweetly at Fourth Master Long, and shouted in the air: "Hello, Fourth Brother!"

At this time, no one knew what kind of beautiful future she was calling out when she called out.

At the same time, Mrs. Xue hurried to the front hall, and when she heard that Xue Pan introduced Baochai to outsiders and even mentioned her boudoir name, her heart sank.When she saw Baochai calling someone, she shook her head and was speechless.Afraid that the two of them would make some joke again, they immediately came forward and greeted with a smile: "I wonder if this young master is..."

"Ah, this is a friend I met outside. His surname is Long, and he is the fourth eldest at home. You can call him—"

"Young Master Long Si, right?" Mrs. Xue immediately cut her mouth and said, "You child, what kind of dignity is it to let guests stand in the yard and talk, and you don't ask people to talk in the front hall."

With that said, let the person go to the main hall.After sitting down, Mrs. Xue first sent her maid and mother-in-law to send Baochai back to the backyard.Then he smiled and exchanged greetings: "I don't know where the son's fairyland is, so what's the point of coming to Jinling City?"

The reason why I asked this was because I saw the caravan accompanied by Fourth Master Long when I was in the front yard. How can a local travel with so many servants as a guest?

"I've seen Mrs. Xue." Fourth Master Long cupped his hands, and said, "I'm from the capital, and I came to Jinling for business. I don't want to meet little brother Xue outside the city. I don't want to see each other for a day. I will hate each other." Night."

"That's right, Fourth Master Long has no place to stay in Jinling City yet! I just thought it would be inconvenient and not safe for him to carry so many things alone. Our house is big, so I took Fourth Master Long over. Mom You happened to give Zhang Luo a yard to live in." Xue Pan said with a smile, stepped forward and put his arms around Madam Xue's neck, "Thank you, Mom."

"This child..." Mrs. Xue couldn't laugh or cry angrily.Originally, hearing Xue Pan's unreliable words made me very angry.I thought in my heart that it is necessary to educate in private, how can I casually bring people who don't know the basics to the house, especially when the master is not at home now.This is not adding to the chaos!But who would have thought that Xue Pan's hug and soft words would dispel all her grievances.Shaking her head helplessly, she sighed and said, "Really. Mother Liu, send someone to clean up the Begonia Pavilion in the front yard, and arrange for Mr. Long Si's people to live in first."

He explained to Fourth Master Long again: "This Haitang Pavilion is an independent courtyard in the front yard. It was originally a place for the master to receive distinguished guests. It is small and exquisite, with about ten houses, complete with front hall and back room. It is also cheap .”

The most important thing is that the Haitang Pavilion is the farthest from the backyard, and there are several gates and walls in the middle. People are arranged there, so as long as they are careful when they come and go on weekdays, there will be no bad words to come out.

Hearing the words, Fourth Master Long cupped his hands in thanks and said, "Madam Lao, don't worry."

"It's nothing. It's not easy to come out to make a living." Mrs. Xue exchanged a few words, and said tentatively: "I grew up in the capital as a child. Later, I got married and went to Jinling with my husband's family. Therefore, there is a reputation in the capital. I also know quite a lot of people, I don’t know which family Master Long Si belongs to, if you tell me, maybe we are still relatives!”

Mrs. Xue asked this question, after all, she still doubted the identity of Fourth Master Long.Without him, although Fourth Master Long kept saying that he was a businessman, but looking at his posture, he was not at all smooth and clear as a businessman.The family background is also secretive, no wonder Mrs. Xue is suspicious.

"Oh, I feel so tired after walking outside all day!" Xue Pan who was sitting beside him suddenly got up and stretched, and said with a sigh of relief: "Mom, I'm going back to my room to wash and go to bed. Don't talk to Fourth Master Long. Talking for too long, he is also exhausted, let him rest!"

Since he consciously guessed where Long Fourth Master came from, of course he wouldn't let Madam Xue's in-depth questions bother others.But dudes from the 21st century have no fear of that kind of people.After all, Xue Pan seems to have discovered a national treasure like a giant panda in his heart, and feels that although this person is precious and rare, he just looks at it.Didn't think of anywhere else at all.

And the reason why he has this kind of heart is that he is confident in his ability to control the heat.In the original book, although the four families of Jia Shiwang and Xue are all prosperous.A lose-lose situation.But after all, the Xue family is much cleaner than the other three.He didn't lose money because of taking over the money, and he didn't have a rebellious heart, as long as he was careful not to kill anyone, nothing major would happen.

As for money touching people's hearts... Xue Pan even frowned.In the original book, Lin Ruhai only worked as a salt administrator for a few years and earned a wealth even stronger than the four major families.My family is just an imperial businessman, as long as I have a clear mind and don't get involved in politics, I can support a few court officials who can handle it.Even if someone is jealous, there is no way.After all, in this dynasty, the laws against officials who accept bribes are strict, but there are no restrictions on those who bribe.

Therefore, Xue Pan is even more confident.

"You child..." Mrs. Xue became more and more impatient, but also more and more helpless.Just about to ask someone to go back and rest.There was another commotion outside, and a servant shouted loudly: "The master is back, the master is back..."