A visit to Fangchun

Autumn and winter come.

The garden built for the Concubine Yuan’s family has been completed for a long time. Jia Baoyu first wrote a couplet on the plaque. Curtains, antiques and cultural relics are all arranged and compromised one by one.The little actors learned [-] miscellaneous operas, and the little nuns and nuns also recited a few volumes of mantras.

Jia Zheng asked Jia's mother to check all the places one by one, and all the colors and colors were in order before choosing a day to play the inscription.Yubi approved returning to the province on the day of Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month.

After listening to the date, Jia Mu hurriedly went to find out what time the other concubines were.After asking all the questions, Jia Zheng came back and reported in person: "It's all that day. I must be worried that there will be an order, and there will be competition in the harem, which is not beautiful."

Mother Jia nodded and remained silent.Mrs. Wang was present, so she asked again: "Do you know how many people returned to the province this spring?"

Jia Zhengdao: "I heard that, except for the empress, four or five people who live in the capital have all requested permission."

Mrs. Wang heaved a sigh of relief, and said with a smile: "That's good. The bowl of water is leveled by the Holy Majesty, so that the big girl won't be in trouble after returning to the palace."

However, Jia Zheng frowned and twisted his beard: "It's all the same. Those who can't go home in the mountains, south and seas, there are quite a few who are favored. They can't go back. I'm afraid they will go back to these few. None of them sounded good."

Mother Jia sighed, waved her hands and said, "Forget it, it's really nothing to worry about. The palace is as deep as the sea, and it's up to the girls to struggle on their own. We can only do our best not to cause trouble for her."

Mrs. Wang nodded again and again, and said: "The old lady is very true. Master, please restrain the servants of the family more in the future, and be more careful from now on."

Mother Jia glanced at her coldly, snorted, and said, "You are the head wife, and your niece is the head grandmother, and the work of restraining the servants, what time can I assign to the master?" Turning around, he became even more annoyed, turned to Jia Zheng, and said in a deep voice: "You turn around and call your elder brother and nephew, come to me, and I will take care of you. Be an official and a good person, don't give it to the virtuous concubine Throw sparks in the backyard!"

After hearing this, Mrs. Wang's proud words seemed to be giving orders to Jia's mother. She blushed and lowered her head: "Daughter-in-law can't talk, mother, don't be angry."

Jia's mother waved his husband and wife to retreat: "Don't dare to offend your mother's mother!"

Jia Zheng was extremely embarrassed, but he could only drag Mrs. Wang out of the main room together.

Mrs. Wang's complexion paled, and she called Yuanyang to give instructions as usual: "The old lady has been thinking a lot these past two days, and you take good care of her. I advise her to take care of herself..."

Jia Zheng became angrier as he listened, and couldn't help lowering his voice and shouting: "Shut up! You dare to let my mother mind meddling before I'm dead? If you can't speak, don't speak. No one will treat you as dumb!"

Yuanyang was terrified when he heard it, and had already bowed and retreated far away.

Mrs. Wang was already ashamed and angry in front of her, her face was flushed, she sneered, and retorted in a low voice: "If I really don't speak, your Jia family will not know what kind of mess it is! You have the ability to invite your sister-in-law Come to the head of the house, I want to see if there is anyone who can be stronger than me!"

After speaking, he wrestled and left.

Jia Zheng was so angry that his beard shook, he stamped his feet at the door of the main room, it took him a while to suppress his anger, and went away step by step.

The mandarin ducks had slipped in through the side door a long time ago, and first brought tea to moisten Jia Mu's throat, then looked at Jia Mu's face, and cautiously persuaded: "Seeing that the Lantern Festival is not far away, Miss... come home, let's make a decision." I hope to see a group of harmony..."

Jia Mu snorted and asked, "Where is Baoyu?"

Yuanyang said: "Second Master Bao, Miss Lin and Miss Third went to write at the place of Miss Third. Just now Zijuan and Xiren came back to get the cloak. They said that Miss Lin was a little homesick today and cried again. Second Master Bao proposed to go Strolling in the garden, the third girl is lazy, let the two of them go shopping by themselves."

Mother Jia frowned and said, "Does he think the garden is his? Go as soon as you say it! Hurry up and find his nanny and take the three of them. The garden may have been locked. You can find someone to give it to you." They want the key."

Yuanyang agreed, and hurriedly went out to spread the word.

The dispute between Jiamu and Mrs. Wang here reached the ears of Wang Xifeng and Tanchun within a long time.

Wang Xifeng felt that there was something wrong with Mrs. Wang, but Tanchun felt that Jia's mother was unnecessary.

One is the biological mother of the imperial concubine Yuan, and the other is the old grandmother who raised Fengzao Palace Shangshu since childhood. Who can be closer than the other?Or who can step on who will win the favor of the concubine Yuan?

But the two mother-in-law and daughter-in-law suddenly started to compete like this, and they fought openly and secretly until nearly the New Year's Eve.When visiting the palace on February or Sixth, Mrs. Jia went to Mrs. Wang and said that she was busy with housework. Mrs. Wang said she was uncomfortable when she went to Mrs. Jia, which made Mrs. Xing who went back to follow her very embarrassed.

Finally one day, Mrs. Xing couldn't take it anymore, and watched Mrs. Wang go to change clothes and wash her hands, and quietly complained to Concubine Yuan: "I don't know why, the old lady and the second wife are not very happy recently, they are acting like children. They are angry with each other. No one in the family can persuade them well, so I'd better ask the empress to break it down."

Concubine Yuan was also aware of it, and she couldn't help laughing when Madam Xing said that her two children were the same. She sighed and shook her head, and thanked Madam Xing: "It's hard for the eldest lady, thank you very much. I understand."

When it was time to meet again to hand over the sign, Concubine Yuan ordered someone to send a message: "Please come over with the old lady, the eldest wife, the second wife, and sister-in-law Zhen to discuss the matter of returning to the province."

The four imperial orders did not dare to be negligent, and hurriedly dressed neatly and entered the palace.

Unexpectedly, Concubine Yuan Yuan invited Mrs. Xing and Mrs. You to go to the side hall next door to have a snack and rest, leaving only the old lady and the wife, and after persuading her for a while, she said: "Why haven't you passed by and seen Grandmother? Our wife has always thought little and is clumsy with words. Didn’t my grandmother tell me back then that the two young ladies of the Wang family, that’s why my grandmother chose our wife? Now I ask the old lady to forgive her.” Then he advised Wang. Madam: "Every kindness and filial piety are the first. Now I am in the palace, and I am always advised by the empress dowager and empress dowager to be gentle, respectful, thrifty, loyal and filial. My wife is my own mother, and the atmosphere in the house is all about you. You It’s better to have more calculations in mind.”

After receiving Concubine Yuan's words, Mother Jia calmed down a little, and finally smiled at Mrs. Wang.And no matter how stupid Mrs. Wang is, she also understands that if outsiders say what she said to be angry with her mother-in-law, if she is unfilial, Concubine Yuan will be criticized immediately in the palace.Immediately, he broke out in a cold sweat from fright, changed his face, and sincerely apologized to Jia Mu in front of Concubine Yuan.

When Mrs. Xing and Mrs. You came back, several people discussed the matter of returning to the province. When everyone left, Concubine Yuan signaled Mrs. Wang to take a step back, took her hand, and solemnly warned: "Grandmother does things for a lifetime. Madam, don't think left, take advantage of small advantages, and suffer big losses."

Mrs. Wang was blushed by what she said, she bit her lip and lowered her head, she hurried to catch up with Jiamu and others without saying a word, and went back to the mansion quietly.

Mother Jia's mood naturally improved because of this breath, and she was willing to ask Concubine Yuan about her journey back to the province.Only then did Jia Zheng feel relieved, and he went back to comfort Mrs. Wang half-truthfully: "You just can't think about it. The daughter must have come out of your stomach, and you can still ignore you for someone else? She grew up with her mother within a few months, and the whole capital knew that she was a good granddaughter brought up by her mother. Could it be that at this time, she actually left her old grandmother behind and favored you? The queen mother immediately kicked her out. You are waiting to enjoy the blessings of your descendants, what is better than that?"

Mrs. Wang was ashamed of being stripped of her thoughts by her daughter. Although her husband's words were merciless, they were soft words after all. With such a thoughtful heart, she went down the steps and said: What I said is true. I am impetuous." After a delay of two or three days, I went to greet Mother Jia.Anyway, when it came time to worship the ancestors on New Year's Eve, the relationship between the two mother-in-law and daughter-in-law resumed normal.

Wang Xifeng and Tanchun only thought it was unnecessary for the two of them to make a fuss, and when they waited for the ancestral dishes to be arranged, they couldn't help but look at each other, and they both saw the disapproval in their eyes, and they couldn't help but feel a little bit surprised The meaning of sympathy.

From the eighth day of the lunar new year, people began to come to the palace. Looking at the direction, some people arranged where to change clothes, where to sit, where to receive gifts, where to hold banquets, etc., while others began to instruct Jia's house. Where do people retreat, where do they kneel, where do they eat, where do they receive enlightenment, and so on.

Concubine Yuan was very careful, and she had already invited the Queen's order. On the fifth day of the first lunar month, she sent four old nuns out of her palace to teach the sisters in the family the corresponding etiquette, how to walk, how to sit, how to have a banquet, How to speak.

Jia Baoyu was the first to get impatient with these etiquettes, and Lin Daiyu was unwilling to learn them.The two were called over by Tanchun, and they closed the door and asked them: "From the old lady to sister-in-law Zhen, they often walk in the palace. Do you need this etiquette instruction? Sister Bao originally came to Beijing to be elected. Yes, I'm afraid there will be more disciplined people to give instructions in the future. Does she need these etiquette teachings? The eldest sister has entered the palace, and the three of us are afraid that we will never be in the palace in this life. Do we need this etiquette instruction? Damn, who are you sending out to teach, do you two really not understand at all?"

Jia Baoyu suddenly realized.

He is the younger brother of the imperial concubine Yuan, so he can barely be regarded as the emperor's brother-in-law.If it is necessary to enter the palace in the future, is it necessary to order the officials to teach etiquette alone?

And Lin Daiyu blushed when she heard this.

From the point of view of entering the palace, Sanyan of the Jia Mansion would not go again, and neither would she.But if he wants to be Jia Baoyu's wife in the future, then entering the palace to see the concubine Yuan is simply a certainty.If you don't take the opportunity to learn from the foster mother at this time, what are you waiting for?