The Housekeeper's Daughter-in-law of the Red House

After celebrating Jia Yuanchun's birthday and the New Year's Eve, the tense and busy atmosphere in Jia's mansion was finally gone, and Shulan also breathed a sigh of relief. The people who are most tired during the Chinese New Year are not the masters above, but them. These servants at the bottom.

After sending Mrs. Zhang back to her room to rest, Shulan returned home. Fortunately, she is no longer the maid next to the master, otherwise she would really be exhausted in the past few days.After returning home, Xuezhan and Youlan rushed forward to serve her. Shulan cleaned her hands, but without seeing Lin Zhixiao, she asked, "Master?"

"The uncle hasn't come back yet, he's still in Jia's house." You Lan replied, and then asked: "Did grandma prepare the meal now, or should I use it together when the uncle comes back?"

"Bring me a bowl of porridge first, and when the master comes back later, he will set the meal." Shulan said while pinching her shoulders.

"Yes!"

Shulan thought that Lin Zhixiao was found by some trivial matter temporarily, but she didn't want to wait until midnight without seeing Lin Zhixiao, so she was about to send someone to look for it, when she saw Ziyan, a little girl from the yard, come in, "Grandma , the uncle sent someone to pass the news that the old man of the Zhang family passed away suddenly, and asked grandma to go to Jia's mansion quickly."

"What!?" Shulan was surprised when she heard the words, "What's going on?"

Zi Yan shook her head, "I don't know, but I asked the elder brother who guards the gate of Jia's house, but they didn't know either. But grandma, the Zhang family's old master is already very old, and it's a joy and sorrow to pass away now."

Not everyone is like Mother Jia who can live to be more than 80 years old. Grandpa Zhang can live to be more than 70 years old.If you want to insist that there is a regret, it is that Jia Lian has not yet taken the imperial examination. Without the blessing of the old man Zhang, the road may be more difficult.

However, Mrs. Zhang's older brothers are already able to support the Zhang family. They may not be as good as the old Mrs. Zhang when he was alive, but they will not be thrown into the dust all at once. Generally speaking, there are not many regrets and panics, but most of them are sad.

"Look for a plain dress." Shulan hurriedly ordered upon hearing the words, because Jia's mother likes brightly colored clothes, so there are people who like to wear red and green in Jia's mansion, and this will come suddenly. For a funeral, it is impossible not to change clothes.

After changing her clothes, Shulan hurried to Jia's mansion. It was already Haishi, and everyone usually fell asleep at this time, but at this moment, the masters of Jia's mansion were all in Rongxitang.When Shulan entered, she heard a small sobbing sound, needless to say, the crying person must be Mrs. Zhang.

"Why is Duanduan's old in-laws gone like this? It's too sudden." Mother Jia asked, frowning.

Even though she doesn't like Mrs. Zhang very much, she has to say that the Zhang family's tutoring is very good. At least Mother Jia can't pick out Mrs. Zhang's thorns, unlike Mrs. Wang who has a lot of shortcomings and her IQ is not enough. .Of course, the more important reason is that the old man of the Zhang family has a great influence in the capital and is very helpful to Jia Lian's career. Jia's mother originally planned to let Jia Lian help the second room after Jia Lian was promising, but who would have thought Jia Lian Before his official career started, the old master of the Zhang family was gone.

Mrs. Zhang's eyes were red, and she choked up and said, "I'm also surprised. When I went back a few days ago, my father was still in good spirits. Why did he go so suddenly?"

Jia's mother's thoughts changed sharply, "Is Lian'er already? Are you back?"

"I haven't come back from the Zhang family yet." A nanny at the side replied.

"It's such a big thing, he doesn't know how to come back and make a noise!" Mother Jia was a little angry when she heard this.

Shulan hurriedly said: "Old lady, don't worry, the second master is not such a foolish person, I think he must have something to worry about, but as the grandson of the Zhang family, the second master encountered this matter again in the Zhang family. It is also necessary to help some, and I will come back after a while."

"Lin Zhixiao's family is here." Mother Jia said, "Go down and tell someone to prepare something. It's already midnight and it's not convenient to go to Zhang's house. Let's go to Zhang's house early in the morning."

"This..." Shulan showed a look of hesitation. Speaking of living in ancient times for a long time, Shulan became less and less courageous, without him, because she had more scruples in her heart.

Now that she heard Jia's mother's words, she dared not act, because the chief housekeeper of Zhengjia's mansion was Lai Ming, the husband of Nanny Lai. The posture of going out together should be Lai Ming and Lai Momo.

Although Shulan is not afraid of the Lai family, she can't challenge the unspoken rules by herself, otherwise she is not trying to squeeze the Lai family, but challenging all the servants of the Jia family.

"The old lady believed me. Originally I shouldn't have resigned. It's just that my monthly letter came yesterday. Now I really dare not take over this matter." Shulan said with a embarrassed face.

The ancients had a superstition that women were unclean when their aunts came. Generally speaking, women in this period would not let them touch their hands when it came to weddings and funerals, for fear that they would bring bad luck.

The corner of Mrs. Wang's mouth curled up, "This is really a coincidence."

Shulan said with some trepidation: "It's really a coincidence."

Jia Amnesty looked at Jia Mu's expression with displeasure, and said impatiently: "She is not the only servant in the family. Lin Zhixiao's family can't do it, so there are others. The matter of Zhao Dan's family is left to you husband and wife. It's two people, and it must be done before dawn."

Zhao Dan is the son of Jia She's nanny, he can be regarded as the second housekeeper of the big house, he can't compare with Lin Zhixiao in front of Jia She, but his daughter-in-law is Mrs. Zhang's dowry girl, so he is very embarrassed in front of Mrs. Zhang.Therefore, when Lin Zhixiao and his wife couldn't attend, Jia Amnesty felt relieved to leave the matter to them.

"Yes!" Zhao Dan's family responded swiftly.

Mother Jia's face darkened, but she didn't say anything, she just told the girl next to her to remind her to get up early tomorrow.

Shulan lowered her head and stood in the corner as if shrinking her sense of existence, waiting for everyone to discuss the matter of going to mourn tomorrow and disperse, then Shulan raised her head and went back to the big room with the red-eyed Mrs. Zhang .

Perhaps her father died, but Mrs. Zhang was very concerned about condolences. She had just entered the door, and she began to order the people below to move.Shulan lied to Jia's mother, and now she can only stand aside and watch other people busy in order to make a lie.

"Madam, let's use a glass of water first." Shulan poured a glass of boiled water and presented it to Madam Zhang, "Ziwen Shuanghua and others are the smartest, Madam doesn't have to do it herself, just order them." After a pause, he continued: "Now Mrs. Zhang Going to die, you should be sad, but you have to calm down to avoid being chased by others."

Mrs. Zhang paused her hand holding the teacup, and asked sharply, "What do you really know?"

Shulan shook her head, "The small thing is just to remind my wife that people always have to look forward, and indulging in the sorrow of the past will give others an opportunity to take advantage of it, and even greater tragedies will follow. You have to cheer up now, you are the head wife of Rongguo Mansion."

Mrs. Zhang looked Shulan up and down, and looked away when she saw that she didn't look abnormal, thinking deeply.

***

After all, it wasn't someone from my family who died. Even if that person was Mrs. Zhang's father and a serious relative of Jia's family, the only ones who were sad were those from the eldest family. Even Jia's mother and Mrs. Wang only showed up twice. did not go.Mrs. Zhang had nothing to do about it, and she didn't dare to disrespect Jia's mother, but she hated Mrs. Wang even more.

Mother Jia dared to do this because she had already found out that Mrs. Zhang's death was not a conspiracy, even if she died at a normal age, she doesn't need to be frightened now.Besides, she and Mrs. Zhang are of the same generation, she is also old, and she is a super-class Duke and Madam. Going to pay condolences in person twice can be regarded as a relative for everyone, and it has already rounded up the face.

But Mrs. Wang is a junior, even if she is not close to the Zhang family because of the big house, but Mrs. Wang is a member of this circle. According to the unspoken rules of the aristocratic family, this condolences to good friends and relatives must go at least four times.Once when I just received the news, once during the first seven days, once during the funeral, and once before others formally closed their doors to mourn.

But Mrs. Wang went there for the first time and the time of the funeral, which was really a slap in the face of Mrs. Zhang.I know, I said that Mrs. Wang is filial to take care of my mother-in-law at home, but I despise Mrs. Wang for not even doing face-saving projects.I don't know, I thought Mrs. Zhang's status in Jia's house was lost, otherwise it would be fine if Mrs. Wang didn't come, and even a sister-in-law of Mrs. Wang would dare not come.

Therefore, Mrs. Zhang couldn't help feeling even more disgusted with the second room.

On the contrary, the old lady Zhang's city is deep enough, she welcomes you and expresses her gratitude when you come, and she doesn't have a gloomy face if you don't come, but a little light flashes in her eyes, which seems to tell others that she has a plan in her heart.

Because of the death of Mrs. Zhang, Jia Lian's dream of the imperial examination was once again shattered. Although he is not a member of the Zhang family, he is a grandson. He is supposed to keep his filial piety for half a year, so he happened to miss the imperial examination. It is really sad.But from a long-term point of view, this is also a good thing for him. If Jia Lian can make a difference in the imperial examination in the future, no one will not be able to eat grapes, saying that the grapes are sour, and it is said that Mrs. Zhang is behind the scenes.

On the contrary, Jia Lian himself was a little bit aggrieved. Although he had no choice but to do anything about this matter, he secretly thought that his grandfather died at an untimely time, and at least he was waiting for his death after the imperial examination!It made him prepare for nothing, and he couldn't afford to be hurt!

"It's good for Lian'er not to take this subject. I'll be more confident when I have a few years left to study." Mrs. Zhang comforted herself after she came out of Jia Lian's room.In fact, she may not have such thoughts in her heart, Mrs. Zhang is a great Confucianism, and her influence among scholars is not small.

Now that it's gone, someone will naturally take his place and become the idol of the new generation of scholars.Time hurts the most, when the time comes, who will remember Mrs. Zhang, and who will buy his face.

Shuanghua on the side joked, "It will be even better if I bring you a No. [-] medal for my wife."

"Damn girl, you can't say this casually." Mrs. Zhang smiled, she liked Jia Lian to be the number one scholar, but the reality is cruel, as long as Jia Lian can be admitted to Jinshi, she will be satisfied.

Satisfy?

Oh, Mrs. Zhang's ambition is not small, Jinshi, only a hundred in three years, and so many scholars are required to earn, this is not small.

But Mrs. Zhang and the girl beside her are very confident that Jia Jing can be admitted to Jinshi, and there is no reason why Jia Lian, who has been taught by the great Confucianism, cannot pass the exam.