Old things in the Red Chamber

In the Rongguo Mansion in Kyoto, the servants have been quietly discussing these days. The elder Jia She, the one named Enhou, has been going out before dawn in the past few days, and only returns home after the curfew at night. Even the little wife's pleasure of drinking can't keep the master.Therefore, many people regard this matter as a rarity, and use it to grind their teeth when they are on duty at night.

Jia Amnesty has really been busy in the past few days. He received a letter ten days ago, which was sent from the north. It only said that he was asked to help take care of the mansion and buy some expenses. Silver ticket number.

Jia Amnesty confiscated Yinzhuang's ticket number, and immediately went out with two stern-mouthed servants from the mansion. For the next ten days, his old man was busy hitting the back of his head with his heels, and fell asleep when he got home.

Mrs. Xing, Jia Amnesty's main wife, immediately asked her accompanying room to arrest Jia Amnesty's two servants. things to do.

"Bah, what's the serious thing? Drinking flower wine and keeping fans' hair in the outside room?" Mrs. Xing was very angry, but she had an awkward position in the mansion. She had to live by flattering Jia She in the past. When the matter is yelled about, not only does it not yell, but it also covers up one or two things for the master, only hoping that the master will get tired of the sluts outside sooner or later and go home to live his usual life.

Jia Amnesty has been doing serious business these days.

Early the next morning, the rooster crowed for the first time, and the old man got up enduring the pain all over his body.After getting up, he ate breakfast indiscriminately and went out with two young men.

He was walking in front, and two people sneaked behind him in the distance.Jia Shen rode his horse unsteadily through four or five streets, did not go out of the inner city, turned to a main street, dismounted in front of a house that had just painted its courtyard wall, a man on the slope came out to meet him , the two entered the mansion together.

The two people who followed passed by the door and took a peek inside. The inside was busy, but the girl's voice was not heard, and it was all rough men talking at the top of their voices.

The news spread back to the Rongguo Mansion, and when it reached Shi Taijun's ears, he became the boss Jia Amnesty, set up an outer room, bought a mansion, and called people "call the boss back, if he doesn't come back, tie him up".

After all, Jia Amnesty came back, and when the people from Rongguo Mansion went to call him, he followed him back without saying a word.When he got home, there were two rows of female relatives sitting in his mother Shi Taijun's room.

The servant girl came in to report, Mrs. Wang stood up to avoid him, and Mrs. Xing led the juniors to stand to meet him.

Shi Taijun never thought about saving face for his son in front of his grandchildren, and after Jia Amnesty paid his respects, he asked him calmly, "It's not enough for you to drink and play with your little wife at home every day, and you are raising your son like that prodigal son outside." I've been hooked on you to go out early and return late, and I don't even care about my wife's greetings. Today I also know that I don't have to go outside anymore, let the family pick her up, and give her a room in your yard. House, if she is not happy, let her tell my old lady in person."

After hearing this, Jia Amnesty glared at Mrs. Xing, thinking that Mrs. Xing must have slipped her tongue in front of the old lady, otherwise, she would not have suffered this scolding today.Tell the truth right now.

"It's not what the old lady thought. A few days ago, my old brother sent someone to send a letter to my son, saying that he had been fighting in the Northland for years and was wounded a lot. He wrote a letter to ask for an order, handed over the military power, and brought his wife and belt back to him. Kyoto. Ask me to clean up the house for him when he has nothing to do. The younger brother opened his mouth. Even if the son has something to do, it is not as good as this matter. Besides, he is fine, so he goes to his house every day to keep an eye on it. Originally, he wanted to wait for his old brother Come back and talk to the old lady slowly, who would have thought to let the old lady know first. There is nothing in this mansion that can be hidden from the old lady's eyes."

Shi Taijun supported Yuanyang's hand and sat up straight, thinking for a while, "Since he's back, it's time for snacks, Yuanyang, take out the set of golden crowns with silver and gold in the chicken wing wooden box in my library. , and leave it to you, my lord."

Mrs. Wang listened intently behind the screen. Everyone in the house knew that the things in the old lady's private treasury would be left to Baoyu after a hundred years.

Yuanyang really took out the box, opened it, and showed Jia She with both hands.

Shi Taijun leaned back on the couch again, "Take this with you and tell him that he doesn't need to visit me anymore. From now on, it's up to you how you want to get along with him, as long as you don't let him in front of me."

Jia Amnesty picked up the box, feeling sore, and said something more, "My old brother also has a son Cheng Huan who has passed away, why don't you bring his son here to pay your respects."

"No, it's enough to have Baoyu in front of me."

From this day on, everyone in the Rongguo Mansion guessed who the "old brother" was, and there were old people in the mansion for many years. Slowly, the identity of this old brother was really revealed.

It is said that when Shi Taijun gave birth to Jia She, he actually gave birth to a pair of twins. The twins have never been known, not to mention that one of them still has a large birthmark on his neck.It was this boy with a birthmark who had dystocia because of his large size. It was only because the Duke of the State went to the palace and invited more than a dozen imperial physicians and seven or eight medical women to rescue Shi Taijun.

At that time, Shi Taijun was extremely disgusted with male babies with birthmarks, and the twins were unknown, so the Duke thought of a way to entrust the child to one of his subordinates back then, and also said that the child was raised by someone else and belonged to another family. people.

How dare that subordinate agree, so the boy with the birthmark was nicknamed "Chou'er" and his real name was Jia Gulue, and he has been living in the north with Jia Daishan's confidant since he grew up.

When he was young, his biological father, Jia Daishan, took good care of Jia Gu. Jia Gu was promoted very quickly. When he arrived, he established his foothold in the Beidi Army Camp.Jia She met Jia Gu when he was young, but he hadn't contacted him for more than ten years. Once he did, he was very happy to hear that Jia Gu was coming back.In the following days, he happily cleaned up Jia Gu's yard.

In the blink of an eye a month passed, Jia Amnesty changed into new clothes, and with some high spirits, someone called Jia Lian and Jia Cong to accompany him outside the city to pick them up.

After hearing this, Jia Lian casually made up an excuse to go out to check the accounts. The weather is getting hotter and hotter. Who wants to go outside the city to bask in the sun.Jia Cong was a concubine, and his mother had long since disappeared. The wet nurse packed up his clothes and carried him over.

Jia Amnesty originally intended to take Jia Lian to recognize relatives, and Jia Cong was just incidental, but now, the little baby Jia Cong came, but Jia Lian did not come, and it was Jia Lian and Cai Ming in Wang Xifeng's room who were talking back and forth, and the rules for speaking were clear , excused Jia Lian, "I don't know that the master is going to see a guest today, and the second master left the city early."

Jia Amnesty waited until the afternoon before he saw two carriages in the distance, followed by seven or eight old horses, and a young man was driving on the shaft of the leading carriage.With a distance of four or five zhang, the young man reined in his horse and jumped off, cupping his hands and asked, "Is the first-class general Mr. Jia on the opposite side?"

The long answer here is yes, the boy immediately bowed to the ground and saluted, calling himself Jia Xuan, and paying homage to his uncle.

Jia Amnesty went to help him in a hurry, and gave him a piece of Peiyu as a gift.Looking carefully at Jia Xuan, she is five points similar to Jia Lian, because this year is fifteen, with a kind of youthful vigor, and the whole person is in high spirits, which makes Jia She admired in his heart.

"Uncle forgives the sin. Father was wounded, and the road was bumpy again. Just after falling asleep, my nephew invited uncle to the house. At that time, father changed his clothes and chatted with uncle again."

Jia Amnesty saw that he advanced and retreated well, praised him again and again, couldn't help comparing him with Jia Lian, hated him secretly, and wanted to seize the opportunity to educate Jia Lian well.He didn't refuse, just got on the horse and ordered him to lead the way.

A personal guard with a scar on his face led a horse to Jia Xun. Jia Xun hugged Jia Cong and rode together. During the period, he praised Jia Cong's well-behaved words several times.

Jia Gu was shaken awake, and heard that he had arrived in the capital, Jia Xun was talking with Jia She and his son in the study outside, and immediately asked the soldiers to take new uniforms, and went to the study in the outer courtyard with the hands of the soldiers.

The two brothers haven't seen each other for decades, and when they meet again, it's just to say hello.Jia Amnesty took out the gold and silver crown that Shi Taijun gave him, and tactfully said what Shi Taijun said.

Jia Gu just paused for a moment, and said to Jia Xie, "Since this is the case, it is not good for us to visit. Let your mother put the things you packed in a box, and ask your uncle to take them back." Then he turned to Jia She and said "Brother is tired, I have been helping me for so long, this time I have to ask him to run again, a piece of old ginseng for the old lady, and a meeting gift for nephews and nieces at home, please bring them back."

Among the things Jia Amnesty brought back, it really only belonged to Shi Taijun and the juniors.Jia Zheng and his wife didn't even see their shadows.

The thing that was given to Shi Taijun was worth a little money, a century-old ginseng, this kind of thing is not lacking in Jia's warehouse, the rich old lady didn't even look at it, she just said, "Take it and give it to Miss Lin to make medicine."

The old lady's heart, Jia Baoyu, the phoenix egg of the Rongguo Mansion, got the same gift as Jia Lian, Jia Huan and Jia Cong. Each of them got a lake brush, and Jia Lan got a small inkstone besides a pen, which was just right for him. For age.

The girls, whether they are guests or from the same family, all have a silver hairpin with the same flower shape and ordinary workmanship.

In addition, the servants who followed Jia She to pick him up came back to chew their tongues, and everyone knew that Jia Gu who was kicked out was a poor ghost.

This gossip started at dinner time and spread throughout the Rongguo Mansion when it was time to go to bed. When Jia Cong washed his feet and was carried to the bed by the wet nurse, he said, "They are talking nonsense. I went to visit my aunt with Brother Xuan." At that time, I saw their women counting the gold and silver, and my eyes were dazzled. My aunt gave me a piece of jade, and I touched it, but it was the best thing."

The nurse frightened him, "Young Master will say such things again, and you won't even be able to keep that piece of jade. You will be taken seriously by others, and you will be blackmailed by Qiao Zonger. You will not be allowed to say such things in the future, Young Master."