There is no phoenix

The butler said: "The old lady thinks about her granddaughter, and I can understand that I feel wronged by such a thing. Our shopkeeper Zhou also said that we don't want you to send back the money that was sent first. It is our Zhou family's right to make up for Miss Jia. But I still have to go back."

Mother Jia had nothing to say, Madam Xing was anxious and just refused to agree, Qiutong came out for a while, and said to the housekeeper seriously: "Housekeeper Zhou, I don't know why you are retiring, but we also want to tell you, we The Jia family is not easy to bully, people say that there are several relatives in the imperial court, let alone us. Since you said that the old lady is sick, you can marry later, and retiring is absolutely impossible."

Ping'er on the side was also busy agreeing, but he was unwilling to withdraw the marriage.

Seeing Mrs. Xing Qiu Tongping'er's decisive attitude, the housekeeper thought for a while and said, "Old lady, I'm just a messenger. If you insist on this, I have nothing to say. I'll go and tell our shopkeeper first."

The butler came out of Hejia Lane, and just a short distance away, he saw Jia Qin wandering around with a bag of things in his hand, so he quickly grabbed it and said, "Lao Jia, our shopkeeper is going to settle accounts with you, and you actually lied to our shopkeeper, Said the sinner's daughter is your cousin, and said that she will be the wife of our second son, let's go, you follow me to meet our shopkeeper!"

After hearing this, Jia Qin quickly apologized and said with a smile: "Housekeeper Zhou, I'm just an errand runner, and it's hard for me to be a human being. I didn't intend to hide it from you. The old lady didn't let me tell. What can I do? I don't want to hide it from you." Said, I didn’t eat a cup of tea or a meal when I was there, if you don’t believe me, go and check.”

When housekeeper Zhou didn't pay attention, Jia Qin ran away in a hurry.

When the housekeeper went back that week, he really told the shopkeeper about the replies of everyone in the Jia house. After hearing this, the shopkeeper said angrily: "I can't blame the Jia family for being punished by ransacking the house. It's so desolate that I would rather give up so many gifts. , and still so greedy. They are unkind, so don't blame me for being unrighteous!"

Shopkeeper Zhou then asked the housekeeper to enter the room and discussed it for a long time.

After breakfast the next day, the butler brought two young servants to Hejia Lane, and said to Mother Jia and the others with a smile on his face, "Old lady, I have already told our shopkeeper what you mean, and our shopkeeper said that since we don't want to retire , that day does not need to change, and other dowry gifts will not be sent over, just stay with us. Although our Zhou family is not a small family, but the old lady is dying in bed, it is impossible for our Zhou family to make public, and all the wedding ceremonies , everything must be kept simple! If you don’t want to, you’ll have to see an official.”

After hearing this, Mother Jia nodded and saw that the other party no longer talked about retiring, so she nodded and said, "It's up to you. If you take the person away, it's best to consummate the house after your old lady recovers. Besides, Sister Qiao is only 12 years old now."

When Mrs. Xing Ping'er saw what Jia Mu said, she naturally agreed.Qiu Tong used to have a rift with Sister Feng, and she wished to send Qiao Sister out earlier, so she had nothing to say.

The housekeeper saw that Jiamu's faces were full of joy, without any doubt, and he was also secretly happy when he heard it, and said without showing any signs: "Then let the girl suffer some grievances!" After saying that, he sneered and left.

On the 29th, Mrs. Jia's mother, Mrs. Xing, saw that Jia Qin hadn't seen him for a few days. Seeing that the time for marriage was approaching, she hurriedly asked Ping'er to go to Jia Qin, because she still had to discuss specific matters about the marriage.

After an hour, Ping'er came back and said: "Brother Qin is not at home, I heard that he went to the northwest to sell horses with others, and he may not be back until next month."

Mother Jia was worried when she heard that, there were still six or seven days before Qiaojie's departure from the court, no one from the Zhou family came, nor did Jia Qin, who built the bridge, Mrs. Xing and Ping'er were also a little anxious.

At that time Qiutong came up with an idea: "Old lady, according to me, the Zhou family has already agreed, and they will definitely not go back on their word. They are such a rich family, and now they want to streamline this matter, so we should not make it public. I reckon Qiaojie will go there, the second son is so benevolent and filial, he won't be in a hurry to consummate the house, so let them pick him up first, other etiquette can be made up after the consummation of the house."

Just at this moment, I saw that housekeeper Zhou came over again and said: "Old lady, our shopkeeper met an immortal master, and after reading the horoscopes of your girl and our young master, he said that there is another way to remedy it. Our Zhou family gate, if we don't play joy, don't invite relatives and friends, we can turn bad luck into good luck."

When Jia Mu heard this, she asked in surprise, "Why is this happening? Then our girl is not too wronged."

Steward Zhou hurriedly apologized with a smile: "Old lady, our old lady is already suffering from a sudden illness. Our son is benevolent and filial. If people know about the marriage, how will our son be able to stand in the world in the future? But all the etiquette is simple. If your girl is wronged, why not our son? You don't agree with our idea. As long as this can turn the bad luck into good luck, the house will be consummated after the old lady recovers from her illness. Don't worry, old lady, our shopkeeper has been busy for a few days on this matter, and we have already bought it in the suburbs. A small courtyard, when the time comes, people will take it there first, and when the house is consummated, they will be married in a beautiful way, wouldn't it be all four corners?"

Ping'er hurriedly asked, "Then when do you want to pick him up?"

Steward Zhou said: "Our shopkeeper said that only the second day of December is an appropriate day, and we will pick people up at Chenshi, so we won't make it public."

Jia Mu said, "In such a hurry?"

Housekeeper Zhou said: "Old lady, the days and hours are determined by the immortal master. Our shopkeeper said that you, Gu Nian, are also our second young mistress. If you have the dowry here, you will give it to us. If you don't give it to us, we will have it at home. It's late."

After hearing this, Mother Jia saw that Mrs. Xing was silent, so she sighed: "Well, it's up to you, but our girl will still have to come back in three days, and we will also see our girl."

Butler Zhou smiled and said, "Our shopkeeper said this, anyway, we won't consummate the house after taking over, and your girl can come back to see you at any time after three days, as long as your girl behaves like a woman, our shopkeeper will definitely not hinder her freedom."

Everything was settled quickly, Mother Jia and the others were helpless but somewhat at ease, and Butler Zhou left very satisfied.

At dinner, Mother Jia discussed with Jia Zheng about sending Qiao Jie out. Jia Zheng didn't know much about it at first, so he listened to Mother Jia's arrangement and said: "Old lady, except for those who are on errands, let the people who sit around in our house go." Let's get together here, and we'll have dinner after seeing Qiaojie off. After three days, Qiaojie will come back and say that it's good for her over there, and we'll find time to get together again."

Early in the morning on the second day of December, Jia Zheng hired a cook outside, saying that he would hold two banquets, and asked his own boy to help in the kitchen.

Mother Jia thought that Sister Qiao would come back soon, so she didn't want to move the dowry, so she asked Ping'er to go outside to urge a set of pretty headgear for Sister Qiao to wear, and then told Sister Qiao: "Sister Qiao, We have also tried our best in your matter, whether it is good or not depends on your own good luck. You should have a mind in the past, so let us know in three days. "

Sister Qiao nodded and said goodbye to everyone one by one.

Li Wan and Baochai also came back early in the morning to see off Qiaojie. After hearing what Ping'er told them, they always felt that something was wrong, but they couldn't tell the reason.

At Chenshi, Steward Zhou led a woman, a middle-aged woman in brightly dressed clothes, and two maids, and brought an ordinary bridal sedan chair to welcome the bride. There was no new son-in-law, no manners and music. There was a burst of sadness.

The rather gorgeously dressed woman said: "Our shopkeeper said that the wife in the family is seriously ill, and the son is benevolent and filial. The family has to take care of the sick and busy with business, so we asked some of us to pick up the girl and go there first. Wait for the old lady to recover. Let’s make up for the festive etiquette.” After finishing speaking, she urged Qiaojie to get on the sedan chair.

Mother Jia had no choice but to ask Pinger and Qiutong to help Qiaojie into the sedan chair.

Sister Qiao saw that the woman was a bit coquettish. If the old woman was sick, she couldn't show off her festivities, but she was dressed brightly, and she didn't speak or behave like a good woman at all.Thinking of this, Sister Qiao hesitated, and just stood still crying.

Ping'er was also very sad, but since she was nameless and had no children, she had no choice but to comfort Qiao Jie, saying that the Zhou family had promised that she could come and go freely in three days.

Baochai stood aside, thinking of Sister Feng's past scenery, and Yingchun's marriage, leaving the pavilion to enter Jia's mansion, Daiyu's leaving the mansion, and Tanchun's distant marriage. desolate.

Seeing that sister Qiao was not willing to get into the sedan chair that week, the butler said impatiently: "The time set by the immortal master, don't miss it. Miss, do you want to make our shopkeeper angry when you go over?"