Prequel to the Red Chamber: I Am the Second Wife

There was a lot of excitement in front of Mother Jia. She was looking at all kinds of newly minted gold and silver fruits. Jia Min leaned against her mother, talking and laughing with the mother and daughter.The little girl outside announced: "Second Grandma is here." There are no secrets in the mansion, but after a while Jia Min and Jia Mu both know about Qing Yun.Mother Jia's expression paused for a moment, and she suddenly returned to her usual calm and steady: "Tell her to come in."

Zili came in to invite Anbi. Jia Min looked at Zili's expression and couldn't help thinking in surprise: "Back then, I only thought that she was a honest person. Who would have thought that her behavior today turned out to be a man with a heart." Yes. She always looks generous in daily life, but Qingyun is dead but she is like a normal person." Jia Min thought about it and heard Jiamu and Zili say: "What is it at this time?" Zili smiled Said: "The gift from my natal family. This is from my parents to the old lady. It happens that the third sister is also there. You can use the good ganoderma to make soup." As the girls brought the gifts, the room suddenly changed. The colorful lights dazzled.

Mother Jia saw that the gift was very rich, and there was a box of ginseng in it, which was as thick as an index finger, and the color was excellent.She smiled and said, "My in-laws are too polite, and the expensive gifts made me feel embarrassed." But Jia Min was attracted by the exquisite cage made of brass wire.There is a little squirrel inside, looking at the people outside with black eyes, her big red tail just wants people to touch it.Zili handed the cage to Jia Min in a very considerate manner, and said to Jia's mother, "Where is the madam talking? The etiquette is also very rich. This is the grace of the emperor. My grandfather got some acres of land outside the pass to have this thing. It is common to exchange what we have. This is because the squirrels in the mountains outside the pass like to eat pine nuts. Don’t look at it. It's so cute, but it's very wild, my sister, be careful not to be bitten. Don't let it out, it runs very fast."

Jia Min thanked Zili, and immediately asked the girl to feed the squirrels with pine nuts. Jia's mother narrowed her eyes slightly as she looked at the exquisite cage: "It's hard for you to bother thinking about her. This cage looks very familiar to me. I don't want to use it for officials." The things are more like the craftsmanship of the Palace Manufacturing Office." Zili didn't take it seriously, she smiled and said: "I am young and don't know things, this one came with the ship, it must be that my two brothers are both I like to play around. My niece, my brother likes it very much, and he tinkers with delicate things for her all day long, I'm afraid he tinkered with this."

"That's right, your natal family is in the capital, and your elder brother is a sociable person. How can there be fewer good things at the emperor's feet." Jia Mu looked at Zili as if she was waiting for her to say something serious.Unexpectedly, Zili didn't immediately complain to her as Jiamu imagined, saying that Qingyun was not good, and that she died had nothing to do with him.Zili, however, talked to Jia Min about what squirrels look like in the woods outside the Guan, how squirrels jump and run in the forest covered by the university in winter, how they hide food in tree trunks, and what is the secret to raising squirrels.

Jia Min listened to Zili's words, although the little squirrel was very cute and she liked it very much, but Zili's nonchalant ease made her feel more and more uncomfortable.She suddenly interrupted Zili: "Since the second sister-in-law knows how to take care of this so well, I'd better take it home and raise it for myself. I'm clumsy, don't spoil it, but I've let the second sister-in-law down." Zili After being poured cold water by the critics, she was instantly dumbfounded.Where did he offend this super sister-in-law?

Seeing Zili's uneasy face, Mother Jia said, "Your intentions are good, but Sanya is a coward. She is afraid of seeing furry things. You should take them back and keep them for fun."

Zili's nails sank deep into the palm of her hand, she took a deep breath, her expression remained unchanged: "I'm troublesome. If that's the case, I'll take back Grandma Wu's grandson." When the tea and fruits were brought up, Zili served Jia Mu to drink tea and eat fruits, as if the unhappiness that happened just now had never existed at all, but Jia Min felt that she was a little slip of the tongue.She sat there sullenly with her head bowed and did not speak.The atmosphere in the room was weird and awkward, Jia Min was stuffy, Zili smiled more reluctantly, Jia's mother was able to hold on at first, but seeing Zili bring a lot of gifts, she was a little bit uncomfortable.

Pearl came up and asked, "It's time for dinner, is your wife ready?" Zili knew that it was Pearl who asked to relieve the embarrassment, so she took advantage of the situation and said, "I asked the kitchen to prepare fresh venison, and I thought it was ready. Another thing is that the girl Qingyun got angry with her sister-in-law when she got home and couldn't think of hanging herself. Although she made a mistake and was kicked out, but after all she served the second master, I have already called someone She was buried generously, and she was given money." Then Zili slowly said that Jia Zheng and her went to see Qingyun that day, and heard her complaining to Langhuan behind her back.

Mother Jia was speechless for a long time, and finally sighed: "I just said that this girl is scheming when she looks silent. She used to flatter her because she was the person next to the young master. Later, the government She is not reconciled to getting married. You are also an honest person. She can say this about you behind your back, but you can still treat her kindly. Very good. The only person around Zheng'er is Lang Huan. That girl looks good. You are eloquent, but the rarest thing is that you don't have a heart. You can be assured, you are a new wife, and within a year of entering the house, the people around Zheng'er immediately went out to ask others to talk."

After listening to Jiamu's words, Zili felt as uncomfortable as swallowing a fly. No matter who is right or wrong, it's just that she is jealous and narrow-minded!Zili's face remained the same, he still smiled and said yes: "At the beginning, the second master was angry and wanted to throw Qingyun out immediately. I persuaded her for a long time before it was all over. Her things were all taken out. If the wife still thinks it's okay Jia En, it is also possible to reward with silver."

Forget it, the death lamp is just to fool the living.You go out and tell us to talk quietly.Mother Jia waved her hand, quite helplessly.

After dinner, the mother and daughter were sitting and drinking tea. Mother Jia looked at the golden phoenix on her daughter's head and said, "Your golden phoenix doesn't light up anymore. I happen to have a new one here, so you can take it and wait for the Chinese New Year." Time to bring it." As she spoke, Jia Mu asked the girl to bring a small box, which contained a set of pure gold and eight treasures inlaid with emerald emeralds.Seeing that Diancui is very bright, Jia Min happily picked it up and looked at it carefully. "This was honored by an official under your father. Their place specializes in fine kingfishers, and the jewelry they make is more dazzling than other jadeites. The gemstones on them are all excellent, and they are used in the palace. You may not be able to catch up with this. You have to keep it well and don’t waste it casually.”

Jia Min took the jewelry and looked at it for a while and suddenly thought of something: "Did my mother give this to me alone, or did everyone else have it?" This is naturally for you. Your sister-in-laws have a dowry and need to look forward to their mother-in-law. private house?You are my daughter, if I don’t give you my things, who will go to them.Of your two sister-in-laws, one has shallow eyelids, and more than succeeds in doing things.One is clever, but the heart is too big. "Mother Jia shook her head as she spoke, she didn't like either of the two daughter-in-laws.

"Qing Yun didn't expect to be so resentful. Although she is pitiful, she didn't just say that casually. The second sister-in-law is not entirely to blame for Qing Yun's affairs." Jia Min thought about it and helped Zili speak.

"You girl, what do you know? I chose that girl Qingyun. She used to be in charge of your second brother's side. Later, when your second brother got married, she might be lost. But how could it be so coincidental? That day the couple was going to see Qing Yun just heard those words? You have been watching Qingyun grow up, she can't say three words a day, why did she talk at length that day. If she speaks frankly, it should be Langhuan. Qingyun is so careful My child, maybe she heard a lot of gossip and said it in a moment of anger. How do you know that those servants bow down and step down, and act according to the master's color." Jia's mother felt that Zili did not play a good role in this matter. , either behind the scenes or an accomplice.

The mother and daughter were talking, and they heard the announcement from the girl outside: "The second master is here." Speaking of Jia Zheng coming in, after saying hello to Jia's mother, Jia Zheng saw the thing in Jia Min's hand: "It's so beautiful, you can see it. It’s my mother who loves my sister. Today my father told me to come back and have a good night’s rest. Tomorrow, I will take me to pay New Year’s greetings to Mr. Wang first, and send him home by the way. Because Mr. Wang has to go home after the Chinese New Year.”

"Since this is the case, what are you doing here? Go back quickly." Mother Jia heard that Jia Zheng was going out with Jia Daishan tomorrow and hurriedly told him to go back and rest.

Jia Zheng sat still, he thought for a while: "I still have something to tell my mother." As he spoke, Jia Zheng glanced at Jia Min, but fell silent.Jia Min is a smart person, she took the girl out immediately.

"What's so sneaky that you avoid even your own sister? Why do you become more and more petty when you study all day?" Jia's mother pretended to be angry and blamed Jia Zheng: "You should grow up and be sensible when you become a relative, why? But going back more and more? Who did you learn to look ineffective?"

Jia Zheng didn't expect that Jia's mother seemed to complain about Zili, so he quickly explained: "It's not that I'm hiding from my sister, it's because the things in my house are not easy for girls to hear. Langhuan has served her son for many years. She was by my side when I was a child. It has been so many years and I have stumbled to this day. The daughter-in-law said that she would be an aunt for Lang Huan, but the son just got married and his fame is still in place. Ten, you can't take a concubine. My son doesn't want to delay her. Lang Huan herself is willing, and she is willing to go out."

Jia Zheng didn't know that Qing Yun was hanged, and Zili told Jiamu about what Jiamu had explained to him. He asked Langhuan to go out at this time, which just made Jiamu's suspicion of Zili even deeper.She stared at her son, her eyes were right and wrong for a while: "Is this what you mean or what your wife means?"

"This has nothing to do with my wife, it's my son's idea. In fact, my son has long wanted to tell his mother to ask Langhuan to go out. Her temperament is not like before. She avoids me all day long and refuses to serve me at night. Yesterday Lang Huan told her son that she had lived in my room for many years without any children. Her parents were old and her siblings were still young. She had no elder brothers or sisters. Go back. I saw her pitiful and filial piety, so I agreed." Jia Zheng put the responsibility on himself and tried his best to clean Bai Zili.

It was fine if Jia Zheng didn't explain, but when he explained it would add fuel to the fire.Jia's mother said with a half-smile, "Since Langhuan was given to you, she is yours. You can decide what to do with it. Anyway, you are a son and you want to set up a family by yourself in the future. How you control the subordinates is up to you in the future." My own means. I just want to tell you that you can’t be soft-hearted when you are a family member, and just listen and believe.” Jia Zheng couldn’t figure out if Jia’s mother was still angry, and wanted to explain, but Jia’s mother stopped him: “I’m tired. Yes, you go back."

Jia Zheng touched his nose and went back. When he came in, Zili was already sitting in front of the dressing table taking off his makeup and getting ready to wash up and go to bed.Seeing Zili putting a phoenix hairpin in the box, Jia Zheng suddenly thought of Jia Min's set of jewelry, and couldn't help asking: "You burn blue, it looks good during the day, but it's not so bright at night. Why don't you use some emerald?"

Zili glanced at Jia Zheng curiously: "What's wrong with the second master, you don't bother with these things all the time, why do you suddenly ask about women's jewelry? If you think burnt blue is not good, why don't you give me a set of emerald greens?" How is it?"

"Didn't Madam give you any jewelry? I just saw the third sister holding a set of Diancui jewelry at my mother's side. I thought it was my mother who gave you some things." With a dazed expression, Li immediately regretted it.

She is a daughter-in-law, how can she compare with the unwanted daughter-in-law?Thinking about Jia Min's unwarranted and unreasonable temper that Jia Mu said quietly today, even if Zili doesn't like to care about it, he still feels stuffy and uncomfortable.She leaned on the chair and said with a smile that was not a smile: "Today, my wife taught me a lesson. Don't you know that something happened to Qingyun. She hanged herself suddenly. Her brother and sister-in-law were going to make trouble, but I told someone to suppress it. Mrs. I must think that I can't tolerate others in my heart."

"I said just now that I went to talk about Lang Huan's going out, my wife was a little upset. That's all, she's just a girl, and she's going to go out sooner or later. I'm worried that my wife might misunderstand you. See if your wife has something for San The younger sister also wants to give a share to the daughters-in-law, the things are worthless, what matters is what the wife thinks of you. I will go to the wife tomorrow and help you describe the details." Jia Zheng worried that Jia's mother would misunderstand Zili, and became anxious.

"You don't have to go. At this time, my wife is angry. There are many things at the end of the year, and she will be angry again! The third sister is a girl who should love her so much. Why am I angry? Why doesn't the second master understand the thoughts of parents? Now my wife It's time to give my younger sister more private houses. In the future, when the third younger sister gets married, she will be calm and not be wronged, and she won't be looked down upon by her husband's family. Wearing wedding clothes, I live with the second master, so I don't have to stare at my parents' things." Zili found that he didn't mind her mother-in-law doting on her sister-in-law at all.

Jia Zheng looked at Zili with admiration, and said in disbelief, "Are you really not angry?"