The Royal Merchant of the Red Chamber

When the emperor wants to be kind to a person, most people will feel flattered and benefit a hundred times.Especially when you don't hate the emperor very much, and even have a vague feeling about him, this kind of benefit will become more and more obvious.

After receiving the banquet, Xue Pan returned to Xue's mansion with a group of jugglers.Once this news came out, it aroused countless envy.Although this troupe of opera singers is not the one commonly used in the palace, but with the word "Huang" on their heads, they look more decent and proud.Before this kind of treatment, other than the most favored princes and royal relatives, no one else could do it.From this point alone, we can see the status of the Xue family in the heart of the new emperor.

Although it is still the era when the emperor promises everything.But after all, the emperor is old, and his health has become worse and worse in recent years, otherwise he would not have given up the throne to others.Who knows how many more springs and autumns this emperor can survive.Apart from flattering the emperor, everyone is inevitably worried about what will happen next.This became more and more obvious when I saw the emperor's appearance of lack of energy even though he was pretending to be tough when he entered the congratulations today.

In the pursuit of good luck and avoiding evil, the Xue family mansion has become more and more lively this year.Except for Xue Pan who doesn't care about everything and just waits for the master to tell him what to do, Mrs. Xue and Xue Baochai are busy inviting people to have New Year's wine every day.In the hall, there was a lot of drama and drinking every day. Naturally, there were men and women who had always been close to each other, such as the Zhuang, Lin, and Rongning prefectures, who came to visit.There are also many families of officials and marquises who tried this way, and most of them handed invitations to the door in the name of the master's colleagues.As a result, there was an endless stream of visitors during the day, and it took seven or eight days to gradually subside.Then, under the leadership of Xue Zhizhang, Xue Pan visited the door one by one according to the distance of relatives and the size of official position. This busy work took another seven or eight days.When everyone came back to their senses, the Lantern Festival was approaching.

For Xue Pan, a dude who focuses on appetite.He enjoyed every festival with special food.For example, rice dumplings are eaten on the Dragon Boat Festival, and glutinous rice balls are eaten on the Lantern Festival.Everyone in Xue's house knew this young master's hobby, so they naturally made this simple Lantern Festival full of flowers, and the inner world was hidden.In addition to the fact that the appearance is round and cannot be changed, the stuffing leather and stuffing inside are all eight immortals crossing the sea to show their abilities.In the end, it developed into a glutinous rice ball and a stuffing. This is how the most famous "Hundred Flowers Blooming" of Jinling Fuyuan Restaurant came about.

When Xue's family came to Xue Zhizhang's branch, they were originally small in number.When I was in Jinling before, I didn't feel lonely because there were other seven houses involved during the festivals.But after coming to Shenjing this year, the population of this idea has become cold.Fortunately, the Lin family who just came to Beijing is also small in number, and because of the close relationship between the two families, it doesn't matter. They just got together to celebrate the Lantern Festival, and they became closer for a while.

As soon as the banquet was set up in this room, someone from the Rongguo Mansion over there came to invite us.Jia Zheng and Jia Zhen came here together with Jia Lian, Jia Baoyu and Jia Rong. They said that they were invited by the old lady's order to invite the aunt and aunt to celebrate the festival there. It's much more lively to live separately.

Although the scene of inviting people here is extremely respectful, it is a bit abrupt in the end.If you have the heart, why didn't you post the invitation two days ago? If you don't have the heart, why did you come to invite someone with such a big fanfare today...

Xue Pan's suspicious eyes fell on Jia Baoyu.Jia Baoyu grinned at Xue Pan.

He has always been a temperament that likes to get together but not to leave.Especially after getting to know Xue and Lin's juniors this year, I feel even more shocked.What's more, everyone got along very well, and they were all relatives of his own family, so he talked a few words in front of his ancestors, and hurriedly followed the elders in the family to invite them.For this reason, even Jia Zheng, who was most feared on weekdays, endured three points.

Everyone saw that Jia's family was quite sincere, and they themselves were a bit boring, so they couldn't help feeling excited.So the two Patriarchs only pondered for a moment, and then agreed.After the carriages and horses were prepared, the male and female relatives headed for Rongguo Mansion in two groups.

This chamber of Jia's mansion has already set up a dozen or so tables, all kinds of decorations are gorgeous and exquisite, needless to say in detail.Except for Jia She who clicked a Mao and went home happily, the sons, nephews, nephews, grandchildren, grandchildren and daughters-in-law of Rongning and Ningfu were all among them.It is divided into two groups on the middle corridor of the hall, and there are dense crowds of people.Mrs. Wang, Mrs. Xing and a group of respectable daughters-in-law and girls naturally accompanied Jia Mu in the hall.I saw Jia Zheng coming in with people from the Xue and Lin families.Hastily stood up to greet him.Mother Jia also walked out slowly with the support of Yuanyang.

After everyone met, Jia Mu took the hands of Lin Daiyu and Xue Baochai with a smile, and said with a smile: "You guys are just eating wine and chatting outside the house, so leave my aunt and the two girls here to talk with me!"

Xue Zhizhang and Lin Ruhai naturally agreed.Jia Mu paused, looked at Lin Mozhi and Xue Pan who were standing beside her, and said, "Let Pan'er and Ziyu come down too! The left and right Baoyu also have to stay and talk, and the younger brothers join in." Better together."

Due to the great defense between men and women, Xue Lin hesitated for a while.

Seeing this, Wang Xifeng on the side laughed quickly and said, "You don't have to worry about my aunt and aunt. They are only a little older, and we are relatives. With so many elders accompanying us, who can say anything?"

When Jia Mu heard what Wang Xifeng said, she also said, "It's all from my own family, what are you afraid of! If you say I am the most impatient with those who break the rules. Because of this, all relatives and friends who come to celebrate the festival will not. Now I took you here as if I were my own family. Since we are a family, we talk behind closed doors. Naturally, we don’t need to be too clear about secular etiquette. If we don’t treat us as a family, and the so-called guests do as they please, that’s me too. It's up to you. Ziyu and Pan'er will stay."

After Jia's mother said something, Xue Lin and the two naturally couldn't say anything more.He had no choice but to follow Jia Zheng to the seat below with a smile.On the contrary, it was Jia Mu who cheerfully hugged the two girls and entered the big flower hall.Arranged several juniors to sit on the table closest to him.He arranged Mrs. Xue and Mrs. Wang and Mrs. Xing on a table, and then smiled and ordered a romantic drama that the juniors love to hear.Turning back, he said: "After I went to your house to listen to a small play by the queen, I feel that it's not interesting to listen to these. But at least there is a sound, so my aunt can just make do with it."

Mrs. Xue quickly apologized and said with a smile: "What the old lady said, I don't know how to explain it. This is the emperor's mighty grace, which gave us some dignity. If the old lady likes it, you might as well call that little play over and sing a few times." Just go out."

"How can this happen?" Mother Jia shook her head, but she was a little moved.

Xue Pan laughed quickly and said, "There's nothing wrong with it. The Holy Majesty bestowed this little drama just for the sake of excitement. If the ancestors are interested, I'll just let them come here."

After all, this small show was given to him by Tu Zhen, and he is the one who has the most say in the final analysis.

Mother Jia listened to Xue Pan's words, but she smiled and shook her head, looking at Xue Pan lovingly.

Xue Pan immediately understood, stretched out his hand to greet the little girl standing beside him and said, "Go out and find a man called Zhaocai, he is my follower. Tell him to go back to the mansion and take over the little drama."

The little girl turned her head to look at Mother Jia, and answered in a low voice.Turn around and go out without mentioning it.

Mrs. Wang nodded and said with a smile: "Pan'er is really respectable in front of the Holy One. If you hadn't said something on New Year's Eve, I'm afraid Yuan girl would..."

Mrs. Xue heard the words, and asked suspiciously: "What Yuan girl, what happened, how could I not know?"

Mrs. Wang was about to reply when Xue Pan said calmly: "It's just something in the harem. I don't know the specific reason, and it's really hard to inquire. Besides, I didn't help much, but it happened by chance. I was frightened for quite a while, so I took a dose of decoction to suppress the shock. I don’t know what happened next, but it’s still about the benevolence of the sage, and I don’t want bloody things to happen on New Year’s Eve.”

A maid of honor in the queen's palace appeared outside the gate of Qianqing Palace with a bloody face on New Year's Eve.This kind of thing is already strange enough, but there is more dirty behind it.How could Xue Pan let Mrs. Xue get into big trouble just because of her curiosity?It's just that after this incident, Xue Pan's opinions on Mrs. Wang became more serious.

Seeing Xue Pan's unhappiness, Mother Jia frowned indistinctly, glared at Mrs. Wang, and said, "It's a big festival, what are you talking about, don't scare the girls."

Mrs. Wang also felt abrupt, and stopped talking embarrassingly.

The atmosphere was a bit depressing for a while, only the singer Yiyi's vocals could be heard on the stage.Mrs. Xue glanced at Mrs. Wang thoughtfully, and now she understands.Immediately, he turned his body sideways somewhat in shock, staring straight at the stage in front of him, as if he was intoxicated watching it.It's just that Mrs. Xue, like Xue Pan, has always been known to be impatient to listen to the drama, and now such a move makes Mrs. Wang a little bit embarrassed.

Wang Xifeng directed all the maids to serve Jia Baoyu's tablecloth, looked carefully at Xue Baochai and Lin Daiyu for a while, and said with a smile: "Miss Xue and Miss Lin are more and more solemn and beautiful. But I haven't seen each other for a year She grew up like a big girl in a daze. Especially Miss Lin's eyebrows, I think she looks more and more like an old lady. No wonder the old lady loves Aunt Min the most."

Everyone who said a word smiled.Jia's mother looked at Lin Daiyu carefully for a while, then sighed slightly, and said, "Yu'er is three points more beautiful than her mother. You can live with grandma today!"

Lin Daiyu subconsciously looked back at Lin Mozhi, and saw that Lin Mozhi had no other expressions, so she responded in a low voice.

Seeing this, Mother Jia frowned slightly.Instead, he smiled and said to his concubine: "Today is the Lantern Festival to celebrate the reunion. It's hard for everyone to get together. The concubine will also stay here today! The female relatives will still live in the Lixiangyuan, the two masters and Pan'er will live together. In the original Northeast courtyard. I asked Baoyu to go and accompany me."

Since Lin Mozhi moved out of Rongguo Mansion, Jia Baoyu also returned to live in the Bisha closet in Jiamu's main room.

Madam Xue naturally responded with a smile.

Tanchun in this room suddenly walked up to Baochai with a smile and said, "I haven't seen you coming over for a while, how are you doing?"

Xichun also took Yingchun's hand and walked in front of Lin Daiyu and said with a smile: "I also said that we sisters live together and have a good chat. You will go home in a few days. You don't even ask me to come and sit down. It's useless for me to stay at home." Waiting foolishly, looking forward to every night, really makes people sad."

"You little hoofless Huqin, your grandma brought people to our house for a long time, but you didn't come?" Lin Daiyu pointed at Xichun's forehead and said, "You really are a reckless gangster. In vain I was still thinking about collecting painting utensils for you... In my opinion, I'm going to die of grief."

When Xichun heard this, her eyes lit up, and she put her arms around Lin Daiyu and said, "Good sister, good sister, show me what painting utensils you have."

Baochai smiled and said, "I said how you messed with painting tools a while ago. You are not a patient painter. I also said that you should not be tired after the Chinese New Year. It turned out to be for her to clean up. Then There are a lot of things, and it's not easy to get them all together. Thanks to your patience."

When Xichun heard this, she became even more anxious.Hugging Daiyu quickly, he begged for forgiveness: "Good sister, good sister, show me quickly!"

"I put it at home, but I didn't bring it." Lin Daiyu couldn't help laughing and said, "I finally collected it all, and there are still a few colors that were brought by Sister Bao. When I pack it up tomorrow, I will send it to you." bring it on!"

When Xichun heard the words, she thanked her happily.He ran over to Xue Baochai again and said, "Thank you, sister."

"It's just a little effort. If I knew you liked this, I would have sent someone to bring it over." Xue Baochai smiled disapprovingly: "This thing looks troublesome, but in fact, people who really like it always have it in their homes, such as your sister Lin. Home. As for me, although I am impatient with this, but anyway, we have a lot of shops, and there are also some who sell this. For a while, it is more complete than what people really like. It is just a buy and sell. If you like it, you will never Whatever I want. But you have to list it clearly for me, lest I don’t know what to do and give you the wrong match.”

It's just a little girl's game.After all, it is not as expensive as the ones used by other masters. How much money is a set worth?Zuo Zuo is just a favor, and Baochai happily gives it to her.

"Sister Bao's words are too modest. I saw your paintings when I went to Xue's house to play before. The pen, ink and coloring are much better than mine. I don't understand anything here, so you can see that you are laughing at me... I'm going to be annoyed."

After hearing this, Xichun nodded excitedly.For a while, they came to Xue Baochai's side again, chirping.

Seeing that Baochai won the love and affection of a little girl without any effort, Lin Daiyu glanced at Baochai with a half-smile.Baochai turned back and raised an eyebrow tacitly.The two looked at each other and smiled, and the tacit understanding was self-evident.

For a while, everyone joked and talked, dispelling the previous embarrassing atmosphere invisible.Suddenly I heard a voice saying: "Okay, you are so busy talking, but no one pays attention to me, I am angry."

Everyone turned their heads when they heard the sound, only to see a pretty girl in a peach red flowered jacket and a green onion yellow satin cotton skirt standing under the lamp, with a charming expression and cheerful eyebrows, she was pouting dissatisfiedly at the moment.

Xue Baochai and Lin Daiyu were confused for a while, and asked with a smile: "This girl is..."

"That's Miss Yun." Mother Jia pointed at Shi Xiangyun and said with a smile, "A girl from Baolinghou Shi's family. Her father left early, so I always took her here to play because I was thinking about her."

So Xue Baochai and Lin Daiyu stood up to meet Shi Xiangyun.

Shi Xiangyun smiled and took Baochai and Daiyu's hands to look carefully for a while, then he said with a smile: "I heard from them that there are two sisters who look like heavenly immortals, one has the talent of singing Xu, the other has all four corners, and she acts steadily. , I was still not convinced at first. Looking at it today, it really is a comparison."

Baochai and Daiyu looked at each other and smiled, Shi Xiangyun took their hands and sat between them.Opposite him are Xue Pan and Lin Mozhi.As a result, the situation is a bit embarrassing.

After all, at this table, there were only Xue Lin and Jia Baoyu, the juniors of the two families, and Jia Baoyu was the only one. After all, everyone was relatively close.Only Shi Xiangyun is a little far away.But looking at Jia Mu who was at the top, she didn't seem to respond, and everyone could only frown and act as if nothing had happened.

The people on the stage below the speaking room had already changed.As soon as Xiaosheng Xiaodan, who appeared on the stage in full bloom, raised his voice, everyone recognized the difference and applauded again and again.Such a fuss also covered up Shi Xiangyun's embarrassment.

At the end of a scene, Mother Jia called out "reward", and the commander of Lin Zhixiao's family had already taken the copper coins that had been prepared and picked out the big new ones to the red strings that wore them, picked them up with a dustpan and lifted them up the stage. .Hearing the jingling and jingling of money all over the stage, everyone cheered and clapped their hands again and again.The atmosphere suddenly became lively.

Xue Pan squinted his eyes and said jokingly, "It's all silver leaves and gold leaves, and it will be beautiful when lit by lights and candles!"

Xue Pan just said it casually, but Shi Xiangyun immediately turned around and asked: "Why did big brother sprinkle gold leaves and silver leaves before?"

Xue Pan laughed and said, "I have never sprinkled gold. However, when the Qiantang River was in high tide, the local salt merchants and tea merchants did sprinkle gold leaves in order to see the magnificence of gold floating in the waves. There are many poor Some people waited until that day, and went into the river to salvage gold after the tide receded."

When Shi Xiangyun heard the words, he couldn't help but startled and said: "I faintly listened to the words of the servant, and thought it was a rumor. Could it be true?"

This incident was once a sensation, and even Shenjing had heard of it.At that moment, Jia's mother also asked jokingly: "Is there really such a family who doesn't treat gold and silver as things? Isn't it a waste."

Before Xue Pan could speak, Lai, who was serving Jia Mu, said with a smile: "What's the matter, did the ancestors forget the style of the old saint when he went to the south of the Yangtze River? Our family also picked him up once at that time. Gusu Yangzhou In the area, building boats and repairing sea ponds, the money is spent like flowing water. Don’t talk about gold floating in the waves, the money is like mud. It’s as if there is nothing in this world. Ouch, that would be called a sin and pity!"

Speaking of this matter, everyone is very proud.

Wang Xifeng said with a smile: "I also vaguely know about this matter - our palace even took over once! It's a pity that I was born two or thirty years later, and I have never seen such a scene."

"Our two families are fine. Only the Zhen family in the south of the Yangtze River can be called a style. Not to mention their family has picked up four times. I heard the name of the uncle of the Zhen family who is now living in the Dongping Palace and preparing for the next spring. They were all taken by the old sage himself. It would be honorable to be named in front of the old sage right after birth!" Everyone Lai looked envious. "Based on this matter, the uncle of the Zhen family would have won the exam long ago, as long as he is not someone who cannot be supported by mud, he will have a bright future."

The joy she said this way, she didn't know that she had annoyed someone.Who are you, but Mrs. Wang who is silent at the side.

Zhenjia Baoyu and Jia Jiabaoyu came out of the same mold, and it has long been rumored in the capital.And because of the different circumstances of the two, one has long been a Juren, but the other is still hanging around behind the scenes.It has long been joked that it is the difference between "real precious jade" and "fake precious jade".Mrs. Wang was very depressed when she heard it.Now hearing what Master Lai said, he immediately lost face and said in a cold voice: "Master Lai is cautious, you don't have the right to intervene in what the master is talking about, and you don't have to tell others to laugh at our family for being unruly."

Everyone in the hall had listened with great interest, but now they were a little puzzled when they heard Mrs. Wang's sudden attack.His eyes swept over Jia Baoyu who was also ignorant, and even those with a little scheming came to his senses.At the moment, he turned his head to watch the show pretending not to hear.There was a sudden silence above the flower hall.

Seeing this, Mother Jia frowned indistinctly.Although she also lamented Baoyu's disappointment.But the Zhen family and the Jia family are in the same spirit, and she can't afford to be jealous of others.Especially now that Jia Baoyu has learned well, he will go to Lin's mansion every three to five days to ask the uncle of the Lin family for advice.He even entered the Taibai Poetry Club in the light of others (just went to a banquet by chance).During this period of time, let alone Jia's mother, even Jia Zheng's attitude towards Jia Baoyu has changed somewhat.

But now that Mrs. Wang said this, it seemed that her Baoyu was nothing, which made her angry from embarrassment.First of all, he is too small-minded to be insulted.Second, today, all the nephews and nephews of the Rongning Second Mansion are invited to a banquet. If it is passed on, others will not think that it is the Jia family’s slaves who are unruly. Instead, they will think it is the master’s excuse. ?

On the other hand, it is Lai everyone who is angry.Because she served in front of Jia Mu for a long time, Jia Mu really gave her some face.No matter who is up and down in the house, they all call her grandpa Lai, and they respectfully call her grandma Lai.How could someone sweep her face like this.Immediately, he said something wrong, shut his mouth, and stood behind Jia Mu in a respectful manner.It's just that Mrs. Wang secretly made a note in her heart.

For a while everyone was embarrassed, but Jia Zhen and Jia Lian came over to pour wine with a new warm silver jug.Except for the two wives of Wang Xing, everyone stood up and waited on them with their hands down.After everyone smiled and exchanged a few words, Jia Zhen looked at Qin Keqing, who was lowered by the You family, and said, "Your child, Lian's daughter-in-law are all respectful in front of the old lady, why are you still sitting with your mother-in-law and lazy?"

Qin Keqing quickly went to Jia Mu, poured wine and apologized: "It's Keqing's fault for the old lady to forgive me."

Wang Xifeng on the side smiled and said: "You don't have to put on a sullen face to fight people, it's so easy for me to show off my skills during a festival, but you are encouraging your daughter-in-law to come and steal the limelight from me."

Everyone who said a word laughed.

Jia Zhen made a gesture to pour Wang Xifeng a glass of wine, and smiled apologetically, "So, it's my fault. My sister-in-law drank the glass of wine quickly, so she has the right not to argue with me."

Wang Xifeng hooked the corners of his mouth proudly, picked up the wine glass and drank it down in one gulp.Then he said with a smile: "This time, it's fine. If you want your daughter-in-law to steal the limelight from me in front of the old lady in the future, in an attempt to make the old lady stop pampering me, I will take your skin off."

The tricky look made Jia's mother look up and laugh, and said again and again: "This shabby household!"

Jia Zhen came up to Mother Jia and joked, "What was so lively in the hall just now?"

Without waiting for everyone to speak, Jia Baoyu said first: "It's about the matter of the ancestor picking up the driver! It's like listening to a book, but it's wonderful."

Jia Zhen laughed and said, "I have some memories of this incident, but I was too young at that time. I vaguely remember that it was really lively, and my mouth is not enough to describe it!"

When Jia Mu heard the words, she sighed softly: "Yes, I'm afraid there will be no more in the future."

Seeing this, Qin Keqing quickly poured wine for Jia Mu and said with a smile: "What the old lady said, there will be a long time to come! With Brother Bao's natural vision, he will definitely be the master of the cabinet in the future. Even if he doesn't pick him up Our family can't miss the matter. What's more, there is a big girl in the palace...Maybe someday she will fly up to the branch!"

When Jia's mother heard the words, she looked at Jia Baoyu hopefully and said, "There are so many younger nephews in the Jia family, and only you, brother Bao, are the most similar to the old Duke. I'm afraid that in the future, we will really point to Baoyu."

Jia Baoyu quickly said: "Don't worry, my ancestors, Baoyu must study hard, and I will give my ancestors good looks when she comes back with a champion in the exam."

He often said this to make the old lady happy.It's just that when he saw Lin Mozhi, the real number one scholar at the side, he made a shy face for a while.Everyone shook their heads amusedly, and after making jokes, the atmosphere in the big flower hall gradually became lively.

Only Mrs. Wang felt her heart move when she heard this.Qin Keqing's eyes lingered on Qin Keqing's side, her expression secretive...