Prequel to the Red Chamber: I Am the Second Wife

Zili stood silently for a long time with his head down, and then responded in a low voice: "My wife is right, since we are husband and wife, there is no difference between each other. The second master has been studying for a few days. At the third watch, I still refused to rest. Because the master told the second master to get up early to practice riding and shooting, I was worried that the second master's body would not be able to bear it, so I asked what was the problem. The second master said that he has not made much progress in writing recently, and he always I couldn’t find the trick, so I was in a hurry. I wrote to my father to mention it. Although my father had never passed the imperial examination, he also had friendship with the learned scholars from the Hanlin Academy and the Imperial Academy every day. Only then could I invite this Mr. Wang Jingzhai. If the wife is worried that the second master is tired, I will write back immediately and ask my father not to call Mr. Wang. I heard that Mr. Wang is getting old and he doesn't like to go out."

...Mother Jia just felt her heart suffocate. She felt that she had punched the cotton. She thought that Zili would immediately explain to her in fear, but Zili didn't care about her criticism at all. Talk about your son's future.It is naturally good that the Wang family is willing to help the government.It's just that Wang Dinggan is so stingy, he is already an extremely human minister in the center, so who can fight for the promotion of his son-in-law?

Unexpectedly, she wanted to encourage Zheng'er to study for the exam. Jia's mother said with a smile that was not a smile: "Your father is willing to help Zheng'er because he loves his son-in-law. In fact, if he really wants to love his son-in-law, why bother him to study hard for ten years. Zheng'er's I have a very stubborn temper, not to mention that I am exhausted from reading, at that time you are the one who suffers, but I am getting old and I can’t control your affairs anymore. Ask someone to clean up the study outside and move out.”

Zili responded in a low voice, and then left: "I'll go back and ask someone to clean up the outside study, the daughter-in-law is leaving first." Jia Mu waved her hands and narrowed her eyes slightly as if she was tired, waiting for Zili to turn around, listening Behind her, Mother Jia seemed to be talking to herself: "I don't know if it's true or fake, I just want to earn a reputation."

Is this dissatisfaction with Wang Dinggan's refusal to directly serve Jia Zheng as an official?Zili raised her eyebrows slightly and was about to refute, but after thinking about it, she swallowed it and went back.

Looking at Zili's calm back going away, Mother Jia couldn't help but say in her heart that this second girl of the Wang family is really difficult to deal with, she is as sticky and sticky as brown sugar without saying a word.Mother Jia is not worried about her daughter-in-law being temper tantrums, because she is an elder, and if the younger generation and the elders interfere with temper, they will lose morally first, and the Wang family will be at a loss no matter how powerful they are.It's a pity that Zili didn't act according to the script Jia Mu had expected. No matter what Jia Mu made, she would bear it silently.Could it be that he just watched his son drift away from her?

Jia Zheng has practiced riding and archery for a while and came back. Since getting married, his life has never been more comfortable.Reading and practicing riding and archery every day, surrounded by red sleeves, and singing with husbands and wives is nothing to worry about.Qingyun came up to change Jia Zheng's clothes, Jia Zheng's eyes rolled around the room: "Where's your grandma?" Without saying a word, the little girl said outside: "Second grandma is back." Zili didn't wait for the girl He opened the curtain and was already inside the house.She didn't even look at Jia Zheng and plunged into the back room. Jia Zheng looked at Zili with a strange expression and hurried to go in.Qing Yun hadn't fastened the button yet and held Jia Zheng still, but Jia Zheng pushed her away: "Idiot, what an idiot can't do small things well." Saying that, she waved her hands and went in.

Inside the room, Zili was lying on the table with her shoulders heaving uncontrollably, she was crying sadly.

"Why are you crying so well?" Jia Zheng suddenly became anxious. Could it be that Zili was scolded by his mother?But Jia Zheng thought hard and couldn't figure out where Zili made a mistake.Zili wiped away the tears on his face, and said calmly: "My wife told you to go to the study outside. She is sorry for your hard work in studying, and is afraid that you will not be able to study your homework properly if you are distracted by trivial matters. Besides, Mr. Wang is coming, and you will never be able to." Do not go out to meet people inside. You can go out from today. I will ask Xiaoai to take the women and girls to clean up the house. Fortunately, the streamer brocade has not been pasted on the window. It is useless here anyway. Let's stay in the study outside. Ask Qing Yun and Lang Huan to serve you. You are used to ordering around, but it would be bad if you change to someone else."

Jia Zheng was stunned for a while, then he figured out what was going on.Seeing Zili come back with an angry face, the maids buried their heads in tears as soon as they entered the room, and they were worried. They would come in to ask for greetings before and after the rain tomorrow, but Zili had returned to normal. She calmly asked the maid to bring water to wash her face , Changed into homely clothes.Seeing that Zili was still angry, Jia Zheng didn't say anything. He waited for the girls to help Zili change and wash his face. He winked at Yu Hou, who took the girls out.

"I didn't expect you to be so stubborn. My mother has always loved her children, and the most she can't bear is to watch her suffer. At the beginning, my elder brother wanted to start martial arts, but my mother stopped him from suffering. Now that my elder brother is steadily becoming a martial artist, it's not easy. Yes. Mother likes to be lively, and likes her children talking and laughing in front of her eyes. You are a quiet person, and you are always uninterested when your mother takes you to play. Besides saying hello, you will never act like a baby when serving your mother. I advise you not to screw around all the time, just start by coaxing your mother. Mothers are elders, and we as juniors should always be filial." Jia Zheng is not a fool, he only said that he looks dull on the outside but actually has a shrewd heart.The seemingly invisible gap between wife and mother may not be noticed by others, but Jia Zheng is very clear.Regarding the conflict between mother and wife, Jia Zheng sometimes feels that Zili is deliberately alienating his mother, which will cause a vicious cycle between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. Mother just likes to be lively, and she is a sweet-mouthed junior. Zili only needs to lower his figure Just make your wife happy and you'll be fine.

"I don't mean to disobey my wife. It's just that my wife told me to tell my father and grandfather that I will arrange an official position for you directly. I am your wife, so I naturally hope that you will have a good future. But I know that relying on It is always bad for your future official career to rely on nepotism. No matter how good you are, you will be wiped out by the simple words of relying on your father-in-law to climb up. At that time, all your hard work was in vain. Your whole life You can never enter their circle." Zili stared seriously at Jia Zheng's eyeballs and did not allow him to escape or hesitate for a moment, and Zili asked word by word: "I don't ask you to make a fortune, even if it is You will be a white man for the rest of your life, and we can live well with my dowry. When the eldest brother inherits the title, we will move out and spend our days in Zhuangzi. I just want to make a semi-official position and serve the court, whether it is the master or my father can do it. I immediately wrote to my grandfather and father to find you a leisurely position in the capital or Jinling."

Jia Zheng hesitated for another moment, and he was a little moved. The two choices Zili said seemed to sound good.Zili is not a person who is greedy for fame, she said that she is willing to go to the countryside with her, and she is absolutely sincere.In Jia Zheng's heart, there was a villain who kept shouting: "Didn't you always want to live a free and easy life like Li Taibai who entertained himself with poetry and wine? Why don't you enjoy your life and insist on studying hard at the cold window?"

But a voice immediately retorted louder: "Have you lived your life in the countryside only on your wife's dowry? Even if you have no worries about food and clothing, what can you bring to your wife and children? Call your son Do you also want to be a farmer in the countryside? The glory of your ancestors has become a passing cloud. Can your eldest brother lead the Jia family to the road of prosperity? Think about those clansmen during the Chinese New Year, and some people have even bought a decent piece of clothes It's all difficult. They used to rely on the family business they got for a few days, but now, within two generations, they have become people who rely on annual land rent and running errands for Ningrong and Rongfu to make ends meet. Are you sure you want to live like that too?" Jia Zheng's heart was agitated, he even saw the scene where his son was fawning over Jia She's son!no!Absolutely not!I can't harm my child for my own selfishness, only with rights can I have a leisurely life.If Bai Ding was alone, it would be a question of what he relied on to survive in this world.

Jia Zheng's eyes became firm: "My wife really loves me, my mother loves me so much, my mother loves me and studies hard, but I can't let myself waste my time and achieve nothing. I'm also a married man now, so I can't admit it." The kindness of the ancestors, repaying the kindness of the parents, what if you can’t start a family and protect your wife? Don’t worry, I will definitely read the results. It’s just that you have been wronged. I told my mother in person, and told her not to misunderstand that you and your father-in-law are not the same. Willing to promote son-in-law."

"You'd better not go. Mother just loves her son. You went because I said something in front of you and told my son about mother-in-law." Zili held Jia Zheng's hand and felt that he had left Jia's house. Purpose goes one step further.It's not that she doesn't know how to make people happy, and it's not that she doesn't know how to read words and expressions, but Zili really doesn't want to be with Jia Mu every day, looking at Jia Mu's eyes and trying to figure out Jia Mu's thoughts, so that she can get Jia Mu's love and protection.No matter how much Jia's mother had in private houses, no matter how much money the Jia family had, it would be spent at the end of the day. If Jia Zheng and her lived on the Rongguo Mansion for the rest of their lives, there would always be a day when they would sit and eat.

If she wanted to leave this place, she could only rely on Jia Zheng.Now that Jia Zheng has stated his position, Mother Jia doesn't care how dissatisfied Zili is with her.With the power of the Wang family, Mother Jia could only dislike her and dare not do anything excessive.

Jia Zheng honestly moved to the study outside, many people thought they would see Second Mistress secretly sad, but they didn't see it.Zili just ordered people to tidy up the outer study, and personally packed some things for Jia Zheng and sent him to the second door. Seeing Jia Zheng's back disappearing outside the door, Zili said to the worried face of the rain: " The pheasant brought by my mother has already been fried? Let’s send it to my wife before dinner.”

"Grandma is so good-natured. It's obvious that your wife is making things difficult for you. How could you coax the second master to live outside when it's almost Chinese New Year? They separated before a year after they got married. And asked those two girls to take care of you, obviously It’s because you don’t take grandma seriously. If the old man and the old master knew about it, they would definitely not allow them to treat grandma like this.” Yu Hou lowered her voice and complained to Zili.

"You silly girl, I'm not angry yet. Why are you so angry like a puffer fish? Your face has turned into a small ball. My wife is an elder, and I am a junior. I can only listen to the elders. Second master's reading is a big deal, don't The old man is going to celebrate his birthday, so I should prepare a birthday gift, what do you think I should give?" Wang Changchun's 75th birthday is coming up, and Zili, as a married granddaughter, is also going to give a birthday gift.

"The old man has never seen anything. Grandma will be happy no matter what she gives to the old man. In fact, it will really make the old man happy if grandma can go to celebrate her birthday in person. Congratulations, their family naturally sends them to the capital by boat as usual. Grandma only needs Just add a few things and send it with the ship." After the rain, he proposed various options to Zili, and the master and servant walked away while discussing.

"Second Grandma is here?" Following the girl's announcement, Zili stood in front of Jiamu with a smile on her face. "What are you doing here at this time?" Jia's mother couldn't see Zili's displeasure at all, so she couldn't help feeling puzzled.