Old things in the Red Chamber

A few days later, the Jia family suddenly became lively. Xue Baochai's cousins, Mrs. Xing's younger brother's family, Jia Lan's mother Li Wan's aunt and aunt, and their two daughters came to join the Jia family. They met on the way. , all the way north, and together they arrived at Rongguo Mansion.

When Shi Taijun saw so many girls, he felt so happy.When Jia Baoyu was happier than her, after watching this and that, he felt that his eyes were not enough.

Naturally, these people also lived in Jia's house.

Lin Daiyu found out that Wang Xifeng was pregnant, and taking advantage of the fine weather and the lack of ice and snow on the road, she came in a car with her son in her arms, and first went to greet Shi Taijun. Go to your uncle's yard, go straight after you leave, don't come here again, even though it's sunny, there's a cold wind after all, it's not for fun to jump on Brother Xin, so don't care about these vain rituals."

He also called out Tanchun Xichun and asked them to go with Lin Daiyu. When these two came, they naturally brought the ladies who were staying at home with them. Shi Taijun's upper room suddenly couldn't hold so many people, so they came out together and took the car. Go to the next yard.

Lin Daiyu first went to say hello to Mrs. Xing. Mrs. Xing was picked on by Shi Taijun every day these days, and she didn't dare to put on airs to Lin Daiyu. She knew that this was the heart of the old lady. The one who went down, praised the letter openly.Lin Daiyu knew that this aunt was becoming leftist again.

After leaving, a group of people came to Wang Xifeng's yard. Many of them came here for the first time. As soon as they entered the door, they saw that the yard was wider than usual and the furnishings in the house were good. They all knew that Wang Xifeng had a good life here. Moisturize.

"I also said, there are two magpies crowing today, there must be a happy event, see, this is not due to you, you are all a group of spoiled guests, Ping'er, Ping'er, take the tea we hide from outsiders Come out and serve them a cup each."

After speaking, the girls in the whole room were laughing to and fro.Ping'er came in with a few girls, and said with a smile to Wang Xifeng, "Grandma has a lot of things to do, but the tea is hidden too deep, and I have been looking for it for a long time."

After hearing this, Xichun rolled into the nanny's arms, and the others also laughed so hard that their stomachs hurt.

Sister Qiao was also there, sitting on the pit and playing with Xin'er, seeing that Xin'er still couldn't sit up straight, she asked, "Why can't this younger brother sit up?"

Lin Daiyu touched her Baotou, "My younger brother is wearing thick clothes, so he can't sit still. When Kaichun takes off the thick clothes, she will be able to sit still."

It was cold outside, so I was worried about letting the children go out to play. A group of people surrounded the kang. Wang Xifeng and Lin Daiyu sat on the kang, with two children in the middle. , Surrounding the city, with a brazier under your feet, the house is as warm as spring.Lin Daiyu took off some of Xin'er's clothes, fearing that he would be cold when she went out later.

Xue Baochai looked at it, and said, "Sister Lin is much more worried now, and she didn't care about everything back then."

Lin Daiyu just smiled, "I don't worry about who worries me, but I just don't worry about him. When I'm not in front of me for a while, I panic."

Xue Baochai led her to talk, from the child to the housekeeper. Seeing that the two of them couldn't get in the way of others, Xichun said, "Sister Bao and Sister Lin also pay attention to us. I received a letter from Sister Lin yesterday. I told my sisters that Sister Lin is a talented woman who writes good poems and draws well. We discussed yesterday to form a club today.”

After finishing speaking, he pushed Jia Tanchun, and Tanchun said, "We formed a poetry club and just passed the time together."

Xue Baochai looked at it and knew that she couldn't go down according to her own ideas, so she invited Lin Daiyu to join their poetry club together.

Lin Daiyu said, "I haven't read a book for a long time, and I'm quite unfamiliar with it. Why don't I comment on it?"

Others agreed.Wang Xifeng didn't know how to read, so she became a food and grass official. She ate tea and snacks, yelled and yelled, and the others showed their magical powers. The life in the boudoir was comfortable. After lunch at noon, I felt that I hadn't written a few poems. It has fallen quite a bit.

If it hadn't been for a mother-in-law who said that Mrs. Gu was here to pick up her cousins, grandmothers and elder brothers, Lin Daiyu would not be able to remember the time.

Sitting on the carriage, Gu Yun gave up riding the horse, and also sat on it, took his son over, reached out to touch his little hand, and felt relieved that it was not cold.

"What are you doing today? It's nice to see you."

"I've been composing poems with my sisters. When the fourth master came, we were still doing poems together."

Gu Yun hugged his son and shook it a few times, "Have we Xin'er learned it yet?"

Xin'er was dozing off at first, but was shaken by Gu Yun, and couldn't fall asleep anymore. She stretched out her two novels and wanted to grab the accessories on Gu Yun's body, grabbed and grabbed, opened her mouth and took a few breaths.Both the husband and wife could hear him panting hard. He took seven or eight breaths like this, and then he recovered, dozed off, closed his eyes and wanted to sleep again.

Gu Yun and Lin Daiyu glanced at each other, and Lin Daiyu said, "Today is the first time."

"Not yesterday."

"Yes, not yesterday."

Gu Yun held his son in his arms, "I specially asked someone to inquire about it. It's really not serious for Xin'er like this. Let's take care of it slowly and find a good doctor slowly."

Lin Daiyu nodded.

Jia Xun carried Jia Cong into the door. As soon as he entered the room, Jia Cong sneezed several times. Jia Xun said to the people outside, "Boil a bowl of ginger soup."

"Big brother, I don't drink ginger soup."

"Then don't look for death." Jia Xuan saw that he was wearing very thin clothes, one layer of single clothes and one layer of padded jacket, no warm tube, scarf, or earbags, and his face was blue and blue from the cold. He was sitting in the yard writing, and he only found out after asking. , which is simulating the examination room environment.

"There is no ginger soup in the No. [-] room." The kid was still stubborn.

"It's not so cold in room number. Are you stupid? You must be suffering from cold like this."

"My classmate and I dress up the same way, and they don't suffer from frostbite."

"He's been like that since he was a child. You... want to freeze yourself, and then you will be able to withstand the cold?"

"Ah."

"Drink the ginger soup in a hurry."

Seeing Jia Cong sucking ginger soup, Jia Xuan asked him, "Why do you think so, if you don't pass the exam this year, you can take the exam next year, people say Thirty Shao Ming Jing, how old are you, why are you so anxious?"

Jia Cong glanced at him, "Brother Xun, you don't understand." He put down the bowl, "Uncle is only your son, and his things will be yours in the future. No one will separate the family from you. Our master's , in the future it will belong to brother Lian'er, and Rongguo Mansion will belong to Baoyu, I will never learn how to coax Baoyu to coax brother Lian'er like Third Brother Huan, hoping that something will leak from his fingers to make me full."

"I can't tell, you still have big ambitions."

"What kind of ambition is this? Big brother Xi has big ambitions, and you are doing big things. I just want to not starve to death after the family is separated. I heard that the sixth old man of our family has such a big family. Old age, dead son and grandson, still holding a sick body to go to the mansion to flatter you."

"Then you can't be blowing in the wind in the twelfth lunar month. No matter what you do, you have to do it step by step. How about this, after the new year, when the spring is cold, you will continue to toss like this."

"Brother Xun, don't laugh at me again."

"I'm not laughing at you." Jia Xie opened the drawer and took out an inkstone from the drawer of his desk, "I'll use it for you. I found it on Qipan Street a few days ago. I haven't shown it to my uncle yet, so I used it." , it’s a good inkstone, it cost me 50 taels of silver, so I think it’s not a bad buy.”

"Big brother, just ask our master and you'll know."

"Then take it back and ask, it's yours anyway."

"Forget it, I'll stay at your house." Jia Cong's mood instantly became sad. "Huan'er likes to rummage through my things, and always asks me to play with her. Ever since his wife's natal family came, they don't dare to quarrel with my second elder brother Lian, and pester me every day."

"Why are you pestering me?"

"Drinking, our husband said that wine is a thing that wears the intestines, and that wine production costs food. Alcoholism, excessive drinking is not what a gentleman does."

Jia Xun felt that their husband was sour.But what people say is also true, drunk life is not a good thing.Jia Huan patted Jia Cong on the shoulder, "Listen to your husband."

Just as I was talking, there was a little boy standing by the threshold outside the door. It was Jia Nan. Jia Cong followed Jia Xuan's gaze and looked out, and saw his nephew standing at the door, and ran over with a smile. You're almost a ball."

"Nephew... wear thick clothes." Jia Nan will defend himself.

Jia Cong put him in front of Jia Xuan, "What are you doing here? You wouldn't come here by yourself, would you?"

"I'll come..." swallowed, "Learning characters."

A few days later, Jia Cong happily came to the Hou Mansion and found Jia Xuan, "Big brother, good news."

After saying that, he laughed.

"What happened?" Jia Xuan was explaining Chinese characters to Jia Nan. The little thing was sitting in his father's arms happily, eating, listening to his father's explanation. When he didn't understand, he just put his finger on the Books will do.

"The idiot of the Xue family, I don't know why, he was beaten up, haha, I don't know which hero did it, it really suits my taste."

"Why don't I find someone to teach you kung fu, and you can beat him up if you don't like him in the future."

Jia Cong thought for a while, "That's great, it's best not to do this kind of thing by yourself, it will make people say it's disrespectful."

"Brother Cong, you don't understand. You said that kind of person is not important. If you hate the person so much, how can others beat you as happy as yourself? Do you think it's one thing to do it, but another thing to learn it?" Son."

"What big brother said is very true. I will learn two tricks tomorrow, no, today."

After speaking, he hurriedly went out to find someone. He had been in this mansion for a long time, and he knew many people. He knew who had what skills, so he naturally knew who to look for after he figured it out.

"Daddy, my son wants to learn too." Jia Nan sat in Jia Huan's arms, raised her head, blinked at her father with watery eyes.

"After a few years, you can learn it. By then, your bones will grow strong and you can learn anything."

Xia Zhi came in from the outside, "Grandpa, word came from the backyard. The mother-in-law of the princess mansion said that Qi's son-in-law had fallen off the horse. The eldest grandma will be in a hurry to go back to the princess mansion to visit. Madam said that you should take the girls with you." Go see."

This is a big event. Jia Xun hugged Jia Nan and went to the backyard. Qi Jingan had tears all over her face. The mothers-in-law were helping her into the carriage. The three women didn't change their clothes, nor did they change themselves. They put their sons on the carriage, rode a horse in the front yard, and escorted them to the princess mansion.

Qi Jing'an's younger brother got married the year before last, and planned to be released to work as a county magistrate in other places. The elder brother is a civil servant and walks around in front of the imperial court. The second brother is a military officer and works in the guard camp. When the wife and children came, the two brothers hadn't come back yet.

Qi Jingan went to see the princess, and Jia Xuan went directly to see his father-in-law.

Concubine Qi broke a leg, and the imperial doctor was splinting him. Concubine Qi was sweating from the pain. Jia Huan hurried up to help, but naturally he couldn't speak.

Princess Anyang wiped her tears when she saw her daughter bring her granddaughter and grandson back, "You too, I'm afraid you came back after hearing the news. It's so cold, why bring your children here."

Qi Jing'an was crying blindly, Xuan'er kept wiping her tears, Fu Rong next to her was holding her younger brother and staring blankly at her mother, she looked very pitiful.

Princess Anyang said to the nuns beside her, "Hold the girls down, and my brother will also hold them. Stay with their cousins ​​and coax them well. Don't be scared."

Qi Jing'an's eldest sister-in-law came to persuade the mother and daughter here, and the second sister-in-law took the child to the next door. Princess Anyang said to Qi Jing'an, "Your father has suffered an indiscriminate disaster. Your third uncle next door wants to marry Rongguo Mansion." , I have to drag your father to go, halfway, I met the people of the loyal palace, and fell off the horse."

Her elder sister-in-law said on the sidelines, "The third master's family saw this and said that this marriage is unlucky, so they didn't go to discuss marriage with others, and insisted on coming back. Auntie, tell me, our son-in-law's crime is not in vain."

The third master she was talking about was Qi Jingan's third uncle.

"People who are loyal to the palace, how dare to argue with my father?" Qi Jing'an was puzzled, if the prince was loyal, he would pretend to give way several times when he saw him on the road. The loyal prince is a concubine, and he is not as honorable as a prostitute in terms of etiquette.

"Loyalty... is gone today, the man on the horse is going to report the funeral in the palace."

Qi Jingan saw that her mother had indeed changed into plain clothes.The sister-in-law also dressed plainly, and quickly pulled out the golden hairpin on her head. She was dead, and it didn't seem right to talk about this with the Zhongzhong Palace at the moment.

In the front yard, the doctor fixed the splint, gave instructions to the manager, and was sent away.The two sons didn't come back, only the son-in-law, Jia Xun, was busy in front of him, and Qi Concubine pulled him, "Don't move, let the servants do it, you sit down, and we can talk."

Jia Xuan sat down quickly.

Qi Consort asked him, "How many girls are there in the Rongguo Mansion?"

"Three, the eldest girl is the noble concubine of the palace, the daughter of the official of the Minister of Industry, the second girl is the concubine of the palace, the concubine daughter of my uncle, and the third girl is the concubine's daughter of the noble concubine. Father-in-law Why do you ask this?"

Prince Concubine Qi sighed, "I'm not suffering this crime today because it's a disturbance. My third brother and I were going to get married to the Rongguo Mansion, but my elder brother said it was inappropriate. We are the sons of the first sons, and they are the concubine daughters. My third brother I also said that the two girls of the family are empresses, and the concubines of their family should not be taken lightly."

Jia Xun nodded, "It makes sense, if you want to talk about being a relative, it's okay."

"Tell me the truth, did the girl come back from a round in the palace?"

Jia Huan looked outside, "It's true, but she didn't see anyone else, that is, she paid a visit to the empress dowager."

"Oh," Qi Concubine sighed, "We don't know about this. My third brother blamed me for this. Before you came, he just lost his temper with me. I said I didn't know, and he said, 'You The son-in-law and the Rongguo Mansion are blood relatives, don’t you know that this is not a lie?’ He said a lot of miscellaneous things again, and left angrily.”

Jia Huan quickly stood up, "Let my father-in-law suffer this unreasonable disaster."

"Hey, it doesn't count, you sit down." Qi Concubine waved his hand, "I would complain without your family. You don't know, Rongguo Mansion proposed marriage with Princess Wei's Mansion, Wei Concubine refused on the spot, my third brother Because of this, she blamed me, saying that Prince Wei is still my brother-in-law, and also a relative, and I must know what others know, whether it is from your family or Princess Wei's mansion, since I know it, why don't you say it? Nephew."

Jia Huan lowered her head, "Don't think too much about it, since Sanbo thinks there is no fate, then there is no fate."

When Jia Gu told Tanchun to marry Wei Ruolan, Jia Xun knew about it. In fact, he just wanted to disgust Jia Zheng. Unexpectedly, their family actually went to the princess mansion to propose marriage.Jia Xunao didn't know what the people in Rongguo Mansion were thinking, Wei Ruomei hated Rongguo Mansion so much that he was so close to beating everyone to death with a stick, and they still got together... Didn't they ever think about the feud between the two families?

"Besides, in Princess Wei's mansion, Cousin Ruolan's marriage was full of twists and turns. They wanted to keep any news related to his cousin, and they would spread it to the whole world. Besides, it was just a relationship, even if it was from the Jia family. The girl has never been to the palace, and if the Wei family wants to refuse, they will not publicize it."

"You're right." Qi Concubine sighed, "but the Rongguo Mansion is not secretive about this matter. Even if they really presented beauties to the palace, they shouldn't publicize it. Now that the girl has gone to the palace, no matter whether the emperor likes it or not." It seems that, in everyone's opinion, this kind of person should not be messed with, and once he gets caught, it's fine if the royal family doesn't pursue it, but it's not clear if it is pursued."

The emperor put down the brush, looked at the man kneeling on the ground, and signaled Hong Tao to bring up the notebook.

The legacy of the loyal king is to give his title to his grandson.The emperor glanced at it, and put the notebook on the desk, "I am sure of what Brother Wang played. It was read when the new king was young, and this funeral..." Thinking that the loyal concubine was still there, a group of bastards in their family stared at the title His eyes were red, "Let the former king and other sons assist in this funeral. I will give the scriptures and quilts, and the rest of the rewards will come later." He signaled the visitor to step back, stuffed the folds in his sleeves, and went to the Supreme Emperor.

The body of the loyal prince here has not yet cooled down, and bad news has happened in the palace. Concubine Zhen is also dying right now.

The Supreme Emperor was hit by these two news one after another within a day, and when he rushed to Concubine Zhen with trembling hands and feet, Princess Zhen did not wake up, and the Supreme Emperor watched her without breathing.

All the lords who were going to the funeral in the royal mansion fell down on their knees in front of the emperor's dragon bed. The imperial doctor used needles and poured half a bowl of medicine. The old emperor woke up and looked at the emperor who was sitting beside him. The seven princes and nine princes standing on the emperor's side looked a little further away, stepping on a row of sons kneeling in front of them, the success of the king and the defeat of the bandit were so obvious.

"Emperor, the Zhen family has served me for so many years, after death, there should be mourning."

The emperor lowered his head, seeming to be submissive, "I am also thinking about the goodness of Concubine Zhen at this time, she is generous, and there are many people in the palace who have been 'cared for' by her, and I am also grateful for her 'kindness'. Take care of the affairs behind him."

The Supreme Emperor nodded, "Let's all step back, and send your brothers off for the last time."

When everyone left the palace, they all stood by the side of the road and kowtowed when they saw the Empress Dowager's ceremonial guard in front of them.The Empress Dowager got out of the carriage and asked someone to help them up, "You go about your business, I am here to guard the Supreme Emperor."

The emperor also said, "I will serve in front of my father's bed. Let these two brothers attend Brother Cheng's funeral on my behalf. I have given these two little things to Brother Wang."

The others said they didn't dare, and led the seventh and ninth princes out of the palace.

The emperor helped the empress dowager to walk to the bedroom. The empress dowager looked ahead and asked the emperor, "That bitch Zhen, what did your father say?"

"There should be mourning after death."

"Hmph, she died too early."

"Mother, the King Cheng family is still there."

The queen mother patted the emperor's hand, "It is said that killing is nothing more than nodding. In the early years, I wanted to eat his flesh and lay bare his skin, but I never thought of taking his son and grandson into surgery. In the early years, I thought that her son was also my husband." His son is considered to be my son, but... I feel sick to death if I treat King Cheng as a son. After I promised my mother, the grandson of King Cheng will be fine, but none of his sons can live. They live. Gong's grandson is gone, thinking of this makes me feel uncomfortable."

The grandson he was talking about was the son of the deposed prince.

"Mother, after 20 years, Prince Cheng's Mansion can take back the title."

What the emperor meant was that after 20 years, all the people in Prince Cheng's mansion were dead.

"It's up to the emperor, I won't live until then."

A concubine died in the palace, and it was a more important concubine. There was a word in the palace, crying for this concubine.

Mrs. Tong said to Qi Jing'an, "I reported your childbirth, and you can just watch the baby at home."

"Mother has worked hard."

It's really hard work, the crying spirit is not like that on the street, just cry a few times from a distance, and some eunuchs shouted "cry".At this time, you must cry sincerely. If you cry not emotionally enough, you must be punished.It's okay for these women who are born outside, but women who are born inside, that is, the concubines in the harem, have to cry with a sense of beauty, and their tears should be retracted freely.

The queen didn't show up, and the emperor didn't intend to let her show up. The emperor directly asked the imperial physician to walk around in front of her bedroom. Sure enough, word came that the queen was ill.Although Crying Spirit didn't have her turn, he also saved her from being exposed to the cold.

All concubines who have given birth to children are also given preferential treatment. They don't have to go all day, just stay for an hour before the funeral.If you are pregnant, you don't have to go into the crowd at all. The honest cat is in the palace, so you won't be bumped.

The main force of the crying spirit is the wives.Shi Taijun took advantage of the time when he could raise his head to look at the wife. She was positioned in the front and could have a clear view of the back of the concubine in the harem.He didn't see Concubine He, but when he looked to the front, he did see Concubine Gui, but he couldn't speak, and only saw her back from a distance.

It was Concubine Jia who brought the concubine to cry. Concubine Jia was drowsy and she was still sick. She was lifted from the bed and placed here. The sharp voice of the eunuch gave her a headache. I lost half my life, but there was nothing I could do, no matter who asked me to come, I couldn't hide.Kneeling for a long time, her eyes looked back, and there were three concubines kneeling behind her, followed by concubines. She asked quietly, "Where are Xianfei and Hefei?"

Concubine De behind her said, "Concubine Xian went to prepare plain clothes for the Seventh Prince, and Concubine He went to coax the Eleventh Prince, saying that the Eleventh Prince vomited milk today."

Concubine Rong quietly reminded, "Sister De Concubine, the thirteenth prince was spitting up milk, the eleventh prince said he was frightened, and the twelve princes heard that the little hand was knocked."

Concubine Jia only felt that her eyes were going black for a while. The emperor's heart was biased. She knew it a long time ago, but this time it was so obvious that she didn't even want to act. Is it just to be looked up to by him to raise a prince? ?

As soon as Mrs. Tong got home, she quickly applied medicine to her knees, "Oh, I must have seen the majesty of the Tian family."

Fu Rong blew on her legs a few times, but Xuan'er pulled her away, and Qi Jing'an rubbed her, "It's been a few days since I cried. Why don't I find a way to report you sick tomorrow."

Mrs. Tong waved her hand, "Don't, I won't let you go. You are the one who wants to take care of this big family. You are expected to pay attention to what clothes and food the two of you outside are wearing. There are these three at home. Yu, there is no way for you to avoid it. If I report my illness again in our family, and no one will take care of it, wouldn’t it be troublesome if the higher-ups blame me? Besides, how long can it last? It's over."

Another mother-in-law said that Master Hou would come, and Qi Jingan knew that her father-in-law would go back to her mother-in-law's yard when he came at night, so she couldn't stay here any longer.Quickly pulled the children, avoided going out, and went back to his own yard.

Jia Gu went home and saw, good guy, there was a red patch on his wife's knee, and his heart ached so badly, "You have never suffered this kind of crime."

"Yes, when I was having lunch today, I was talking to a lady next to me. Her man had just been promoted. She was from Gusu, the same as our niece's ancestral home. She said that when she was young, she served her mother-in-law and stood on her knees. This is commonplace. In front of the mother-in-law, the daughter-in-law is not as good as that second-class girl. I thought, I am really lucky, except for this moment, I have not suffered. Look at Mrs. Feng who is eating at the same table as me , I feel in my heart that she has a hard life."

"Why do you care about others?" Jia Gu fished out a towel from the basin, wrung it dry and put it on her lap, "I am my family, and we are ours, so why pay attention to that?"

Mrs. Tong knew that he didn't like to talk about mother-in-law and mother, so she changed the subject, "I haven't seen my niece today, so I must have given birth. It's cold, and her body can't bear it if she kneels all day. Besides, there is still a child in their house, and she is reluctant to leave the child to cry."

It's not the queen mother who Jia Xun wants to die, why cry, the old man who is too old is looking for trouble.He took off the veil from Mrs. Tong's knee, "Wash up and sleep, tomorrow will be another day of tossing around."