Daiyu's wife in the Red Chamber

Baoyu has no one in his hands, and the people in Daiyu's hands can only inquire about all kinds of news in the capital, so Baoyu first looked at Wei Ruolan when he was resting and went to him, and asked him to send someone to inquire about Xiangling's mother, Feng Shi. Whereabouts, is he still alive, or long gone, if he is alive, is he in his hometown in Gusu, or in Daruzhou, his mother's native place.

After learning of Xiangling's tortuous and tragic history, Baoyu became more and more disgusted with Jia Yucun and his like who were known as ignorant of human relations and ungrateful.

Wei Ruolan was slightly taken aback, and after hearing Baoyu's explanation, she knew that Daiyu had inquired about the news under the guise of her own name, and it was Daiyu who didn't care about gains and losses, if she knew Xiangling's fate was miserable and still looked on coldly, it wouldn't be her, so Wei Ruolan embraced her body naturally, and said: "Don't worry, the people under my command often have caravans going everywhere to do business, and there is a caravan that will leave for Jinling Province in a few days. I will ask that person to go to Gusu to inquire about it." Inquire, there are also people going to Daru Prefecture, so check it out by the way."

Baoyu was very grateful, and said: "Thank you very much, I will arrange for Xiangling to leave after I get news from Mrs. Zhen. It doesn't matter whether her parents are there or not, it seems that she wants to leave. If she doesn't want to, sister Lin and I will leave." I don’t think I can do anything for her self-righteously. It’s not until today that I realize how helpless I am, and it’s my sister Daolin who often says about me. Xiangling is an extremely beautiful, gentle and talented girl, who is younger than the sisters in our family. Well, not to mention that my younger sister can't bear her being abused by others, even I can't bear it. The second sister You is gentle and affectionate, she is not a wife, and Xiangling has such a fate, if there is a powerful wife in the house, how can there be Xiangling? A way to survive? Even with the same temperament as Second Sister You, I'm afraid Xiangling won't be tolerated."

Speaking of this, Baoyu sighed again: "The women in the world really don't know what to say. I am a girl like a flower and a willow. Why can't I tolerate other girls? Always want to kill other people's lives? Before she got married, she was a priceless jewel, but when she left the court, her heart changed drastically, and she became more of a dead fish with eyes, not even a dead pearl."

Wei Ruolan couldn't help looking at him with admiration, and said: "It's been three days since I left you, it's rare that Brother Bao understands this so much, he's committed to this, and he no longer only expresses his pity, but has no intention of helping each other like before."

Baoyu was ashamed, and said, "I'm incompetent, but you don't dislike me."

Wei Ruolan smiled, rather than saying that Baoyu was incompetent, it was better to say that he was doted on, no one allowed him to develop his skills, no one taught him how to solve the problems of his sisters, under the influence of Daiyu for the past two years, he could understand I have learned a lot of sophistication, and I also have the idea of ​​​​distinguishing right from wrong, black and white, and I know that my caring for sisters has been put into practice.

Asked about Daiyu's strategy, Baoyu didn't hide it from him, and said: "Actually, I didn't use any tricks. I just waited for the news from Mrs. Zhen to ask someone to gossip in front of Mrs. You. The second sister You always listens to her mother." , you must follow your heart.”

Daiyu believes that neither Xue Pan nor Second Sister You are very smart and powerful people, one is careless and the other is submissive, and without resorting to tricks, Xiangling can be saved from Xue's house, but the difficulty is that Aunt Xue and Xue Baochai may not agree. The mother and daughter believed that the family only bought people and not sold them, so they had to start elsewhere.

Wei Ruolan said: "I understand. Although Miss Xiangling has moved into the garden, she is still in the mansion after all. When Miss Xue leaves the cabinet, Miss Xiangling will have to go back. According to what you said, Xiangling The girl has an outstanding personality, and she grew up in the Xue family since she was a child, and she is very good with the girls. You may not be at ease with Mrs. You and the second sister You, mother and daughter. You are planning to persuade them in front of them to persuade Xue Pan to send Xiangling away. Girl? When the time comes, we will arrange someone to house Miss Xiangling?"

Baoyu said with a smile: "It's really you. You can guess it. Sister Lin said, it's very good. You don't need to worry about it, and you don't need to work hard. Just think about their tempers and ideas. I think so." Thinking about it, I think it makes sense, the second sister You and the mother are just eager to send Xiangling away?"

Wei Ruolan nodded and said: "This move is very appropriate, nothing else can be used, if there is anything that can be of use to me, just speak up. If Miss Xiangling is sent out, how can you arrange it?"

Baoyu hurriedly said, "Sister Lin said that at least she is from the same village. If Xiangling goes out, she will temporarily arrange it with Uncle Lin."

He is talking about Lin Tao and his wife. Lin Tao and his wife have no children, and they are wholeheartedly guarding the old house, taking care of all kinds of trivial matters. It is very appropriate to entrust Xiangling to them. It would be even better if they can find Mrs. Zhen.

When the caravan went south, Wei Ruolan called to give instructions.

Wei Ruolan is a master of art, she never cherishes herself with her broom, she also taught her own servants and nurses, those who practiced kung fu deeply often led people to protect the caravan, and arrived in Jinling safely all the way.They also often went to Yangzhou, Gusu and other places when they bought southern goods. When they arrived at the address of Zhen's family mentioned by Wei Ruolan, after a few days of inquiring, they heard that Zhen Shiyin's wife, Feng Shi, was staying at Panxiang Temple.

Although more than ten years have passed, Zhen Shiyin was once regarded as a famous family by the local people, and many old people remember his family. They all know that his daughter was taken away by kidnappers during the Lantern Festival when she was four years old, and they have not been found for all these years.

One or two years after she defected to her natal family, her husband became a monk. The Feng family had brought two maids to do needlework, and they were able to get by. Who would have thought that Jia Yucun fell in love with Jiao Xing, and his father Feng Suxi was so mad that he hurriedly took care of her? So she took Jiao Xing to the yamen in a small sedan chair to be a concubine in Jia Yu Village, leaving only one maid by her side.

Jia Yucun sent a lot of brocade and silver things to Feng's family. Feng Su was not satisfied with the hundred gold, and wanted to trick his daughter away. In order to find his daughter, Feng's family has no husband to rely on. How can he give the property to his father?Not daring to stay at her mother's house anymore, she fled in a hurry with her maid, not even the ruined house in Susukita.Back home, the Feng family didn't dare to reveal their belongings, so they brought their maids to live in Panxiang Temple, and still made money by selling needles and thread to make ends meet, but sent the maids to marry, and lived alone in the ancient temple.

Feng's daughter was always on her mind, and she was never idle. She often begged the nuns in the monastery to find out her daughter's whereabouts for her. do your best.

One day I was washing clothes by the well, when suddenly I saw a little nun from the monastery coming over and said, "Ms. Zhen, someone is looking for you."

Feng stood up, wiped his hands by the lapel of his coat, and said: "Since I came here, except for the few families my master used to donate to see me because of old love, you all know each other. Who is looking for me today?"

The little nun said: "I don't know, a man of five grades and three rough, looks like he is the nursing home of a rich family."

Feng Shi was even more puzzled, and said: "This makes me even more puzzled about who it is. How did our family know a big family?" Speaking of this, Feng Shi suddenly thought of Jiayu Village. He was already the county magistrate more than ten years ago. Could it be that after more than ten years, he was promoted step by step, found out that he was here, and sent someone to visit?She fled from her natal family shortly after getting the property. Jia Yucun was still in office at that time, so she didn't know about Jia Yucun's dismissal. She thought that if she could get Jia Yucun's help, she would find a way to find her daughter, so she hurried over.

The visitor had never entered the temple, but was wandering around the gate, looking at the plum grove, when he heard Feng Shi approaching, he turned his head and looked, Feng Shi was also startled, seeing a tall, burly and handsome young man, hurriedly said: "I don't know why the officials are looking for me?"

This person is Wei Ruolan's capable nursing home. He is in charge of all the nursing staff in the caravan. His name is Zhou Kui. He looked at the white-haired old woman in front of him and saw that he must be 70 years old. He hurriedly confirmed: "My wife is Mr. Zhen Shiyin's wife? Is there a lost daughter with a rouge mole between her eyebrows?"

Hearing his mention of his daughter, Feng's heart felt sour, and tears came to his eyes. With great difficulty, he stopped his grief and said, "It's me. I don't know why the official came to look for me? I don't know the official."

Zhou Kui laughed and said, "So that the old lady can know, I know where the old lady's daughter is now."

Before he finished speaking, Feng Shi had rushed to him and said eagerly: "My daughter? The officials know where my daughter is? Please tell me, the officials, where is my daughter? Is there any news about my daughter? Is she still alive? Please, please tell me where my daughter is." She was afraid that Zhou Kui would not say anything, so she knelt down and kowtowed.

Without waiting for her to knock down, Zhou Kui picked it up and said, "Old lady, don't be like this. Carefully break my life. Since I came here, I just want to tell the old lady about the whereabouts of the young lady."

Feng hurriedly thanked her and asked her daughter's whereabouts.

Zhou Kui helped her sit on the stone bench in the plum grove, and slowly told her about Xiangling being kidnapped and sold to two families, Jia Yucun's random judgment, and now Xiangling's concubine. With tears on his face, he scolded Jia Yucun's Feng family, and said: "My uncle is not angry with Jia Yucun's personality. He inquired about him by chance and learned about his and his wife's ungrateful behavior. Coincidentally, Miss Yinglian is now called Xiangling. We live in a relative’s house. We once learned poetry from our uncle’s grandma, Jingxiao, the county magistrate. The county magistrate also lives in a relative’s house. The relatives of the two families are a family and live together in the same mansion. When our uncle knew about it, he told the magistrate Yes, the county magistrate felt sorry for her, and thought of her fellowship, she had already explained to Miss Xiangling her parents in her hometown. However, although Miss Xiangling knew her parents in her hometown, she couldn't help herself, and she didn't know whether her parents were safe or not, so the county The Lord entrusted us to inquire clearly while purchasing the goods."

Feng cried heart-rendingly, and said in a broken voice: "Thank you officer, thank you county magistrate, thank you sir, thank you, thank you, thank you officer for bringing me the news of my daughter, I will pack up and go to Beijing to find her .My poor daughter, what on earth did she do as a girl to be reduced to such a state, to be mermaid."

She had thought that if Jia Yucun sent someone to look for her, there would be a way to find her daughter, but she would have known her daughter's whereabouts long ago, just to flatter the dignitaries, judge the case randomly, and never mention anything about herself!

The more Feng thought about it, the more he hated him, and couldn't help cursing: "God damn bastard! Such a heartless and unjust, how is it different from an animal? How has my master ever neglected him? Give him money and winter clothes, he just I went to Beijing to rush for the exam. I knew that our old couple had only one daughter for half our lives, and I also knew that my master had become a monk with a lame Taoist, and I was the only old woman left. I wanted to find my daughter with all my heart, and I didn’t come to tell her whereabouts. A cry! Although the Xue family entered the capital early, he did not see him, but he came to tell me that even if I beg for food all the way, I will climb into the capital to find my daughter!"

Zhou Kui sighed, and said: "One month later, our caravan will return to Beijing after purchasing the goods. If the old lady doesn't mind, let's go on the road together. Although the departure is a month late, there are people to take care of you on the road, which is lighter than the old lady alone. , and there is our county lord in the capital to take care of her, Miss Xiangling will definitely not suffer much, and she can wait until the old lady comes to Beijing later."

Feng cried and said: "No matter what words I use to express the great kindness and virtue of the official, I can't repay it. I just follow the official's will. When I see my Yinglian, I will go to the county magistrate and The adults kowtow."

Zhou Kui sighed: "Since you know the suffering, if you don't reach out, you will be in vain."

The Feng family was even more grateful, and pulled Zhou Kui to ask her daughter's current situation, whether she was suffering, whether someone bullied her, etc., Zhou Kui pondered for a moment, and said: "Whether it is suffering or not, it's up to me. Some people think that Miss Xiangling The Xue family has always enjoyed fine clothes and fine food, and also has leisure time to recite poems and compose poems. They have never endured hardships and hardships. Some people think that Miss Xiangling is involuntary and suffering in her heart. Then Uncle Xue is the most arrogant and domineering person who likes the new and forgets the old. This time he has won a new favor. In order to drive Miss Xiangling out, her mother and sister stayed by her sister's side for fear of losing face. Miss Xiangling was willing to leave, presumably because she felt bitter, but she had nowhere to complain, and she dared not say so."

Feng didn't wait to finish listening, and cried: "Could it be that the rich clothes and fine food are not bitter? The people who said these words don't know what they think. Whoever lives and dies as a slave, maidservant or concubine is up to him? So Su Dongpo for a horse Ma also gave his concubine to someone! But, his family is so powerful, how can my poor Yinglian leave? I don’t know how much money they will have to send over before they will let me go.”

Zhou Kui comforted: "The old lady doesn't need to be so worried. Our uncle, the county master and others have already made up their minds. We just wait for the old lady to come to Beijing. It is expected that the old lady, mother and daughter will be reunited."

After hearing this, Feng Shi got up and thanked her again and again.

Before Zhou Kui left, he made an appointment with her to pick her up and go to Beijing with her one month later. Feng Shi sent her to the foot of the mountain and came back. He even forgot the clothes washed by the well. Find them all.

That year, Jia Yucun first gave two envelopes of silver and four bolts of silk and satin. One piece of silver was worth a hundred taels, and two envelopes were worth 200 taels. In addition to giving a hundred gold to my old father, I also gave myself a lot of things, including silver and things.The Feng family didn't spend any of it, and exchanged all of it for silver. In addition to the income from working in the past ten years, he has a total of 350 taels in his hand. I don't know if it is enough to redeem his daughter.

Feng was obsessed with the scene of reuniting with his daughter, and while packing his things, he went to tell the abbot that he had heard about his daughter and would go to Beijing in a month.

The old abbot was very kind, and after learning the details, he asked someone to seal 50 taels of silver to her, and said gently: "The old lady has been looking for her daughter for more than ten years, who doesn't know? I should have gone to see if I got the news today. The poor family Fu Lu, the old lady can just take these money and make money. I will write another book. When the old lady arrives in the capital, she will go to the Muni Academy to find Mrs. Jinghui and Miaoyu. They are all from Panxiang Temple. See you Since my daughter has nowhere to go, I will temporarily stay with them and make other plans in the future."

Feng knelt down and kowtowed, and said with tears in his eyes, "I never thought our mother and daughter would meet such good people. I shouldn't have accepted the money from the abbot, but I didn't know how much it would cost to redeem my daughter, so I just accepted it brazenly." gone."

The old abbot thought for a while, and said: "It should be so for the heart of a mother. I heard that Master Jinghui and Miaoyu both know the big family, especially Miaoyu, who is now living in Rongguo Mansion to practice, if you really can't redeem it If you have a daughter, go to them, they may be able to help you a little bit, after all, only the powerful can speak."

Hearing the word Rongguo Mansion, Feng was stunned, and hurriedly said: "I heard from Zhou Daguan that the family who snatched up my daughter is a relative of Rongguo Mansion, and they also live in Rongguo Mansion now."

The old abbot smiled and said: "It's a coincidence, since it's like this, it's easier to talk."

The Feng family wasn't sure, but hoped that they could pick up their daughter smoothly.

While buying fabrics to make clothes, shoes and socks for her daughter, she packed up her luggage and waited. When she boarded the boat, her heart was completely relieved.All the way wind and rain, needless to say.

When we arrived in the capital, it was already October and the snow was falling.

After getting off the boat, Feng asked Zhou Kui wrapped in a padded jacket, "Master, when can I see my Yinglian?"

Zhou Kui smiled while watching people carry the goods: "Old lady, don't worry, after we unload the goods, I will take the old lady to find our uncle, and then listen to the order of the county lord."

After hearing this, Feng Shi suppressed the anxiety in his heart.

After unloading the goods, Zhou Kui took Feng Shi to see Wei Ruolan, it happened that Wei Ruolan had just come back from having a drink with friends in the plum garden, met Feng Shi, and said gently: "Old lady, don't worry, I'll ask Zhou Kui to send the old lady off first." The wife went to live with the old family of the county lord, and then sent someone to tell the county lord that the old lady has arrived in the capital, and the old lady will see her daughter when the old lady greets the county lord with her old family."

Feng immediately knelt down and kowtowed, making a loud bang.

Wei Ruolan hurriedly helped her up, and said: "Old lady, don't give such a great gift, the county master knows, and he must say that I don't know how to pity the old." After speaking, he ordered someone to send the folded plum blossoms to Daiyu , wrote another letter to send over.

When Daiyu received the letter and saw it, she was so happy that she asked someone to come to Xiangling and tell her in a low voice.

Xiangling wept with joy, and said: "My mother is still alive? I will see her soon, right? Good girl, thank you and Bao Erye for taking care of me. I just kowtow a thousand and ten thousand heads. Don't come."

Daiyu smiled and said, "Stay with me tonight, so that you can rest. Mama Lin will bring your mother over tomorrow. See you."

Xiangling agreed wholeheartedly, full of expectations.