The Opening of the Red Chamber

"Sister, I'm worried that my nephew is young. His uncle also said that he is young and ignorant of the world, so he is afraid of causing trouble." Mrs. Wang couldn't help feeling a little worried when she heard Aunt Xue's bitterness.Aunt Xue is the younger sister of her mother, and there is love between sisters after all.My sister's husband has gone, leaving behind two more children. It looks pitiful after all. "Sister, then you came to Beijing this time to take care of things in Beijing?"

Aunt Xue sighed again when she heard this, and said: "Hey, since the fathers of these two children left, all the sales and purchase bureaus, managers, and waiters in Beijing have seen that my son is not young. The affairs of the world just took advantage of the opportunity to deceive people, and now several businesses in the capital are gradually disappearing, so I don’t want to keep an eye on them, how can I be better?” After a moment’s pause, he continued, “The place in Jinling was sued because of a death lawsuit. I can't stay any longer, and I have no choice but to come to Beijing." While speaking, his eyes also unknowingly fell on Baochai who was sitting quietly listening to their conversation.

"Sister, what do you think Bao girl is doing?" Mrs. Wang caught Aunt Xue's eyes and immediately asked.

Aunt Xue heard Mrs. Wang's question, and the sorrow that had been condensed in her brows and eyes just now dissipated for a while, and said slowly: "This time I went to Beijing, not only for my son, but also for my precious girl."

"Oh, girl Bao is so nice, how could she cause trouble? My sister is joking again." Mrs. Wang said.Although she said so in her mouth, her face became a little ugly.But that ugly face was only for a moment, and then it returned to the usual kind and dull look.

Her younger sister, Aunt Xue's intention to come to Beijing this time, in fact, she knew something in private.In the summer of this year, the Holy Majesty made a decree and said that this year, except for the selection of girls, all the daughters of famous eunuchs will be named Dabu, so that they can be selected. job.Her younger sister brought her daughter to Beijing, probably because she had already made up her mind and wanted to send her to the palace.

After hearing this, Aunt Xue didn't have so much thoughtfulness, she also told the truth to her sister: "To tell the truth, Miss Bao is obedient and well-behaved, and now our Xue family is not as good as it used to be, if we want to keep This family business must depend on my son. But my son has grown up so much, he is still disobedient and ignorant. If Bao girl chooses to be a companion this time, at least it can make this family last longer..." He said With that, Aunt Xue's voice became quieter.Baochai, who was on the side, saw her mother's eyes were red, got up from her seat quickly, and handed her a handkerchief to wipe her tears.

Madam Wang looked at this scene, although there was nothing on the surface, but she was quite uncomfortable in her heart.It has been several years since her Yuanchun entered the palace, but now she still hasn't made any success.Not long ago, the little eunuch in the palace came out to spread the word that Yinliang should take care of the servants. Now the management fee in the palace is simply a hole that cannot be filled, and the annual expenditure is astonishing.On the account book, if there is no niece Wang Xifeng to help her, the consequences will be disastrous.Now that she and her nephew Wang Xifeng are putting together the accounts, the interest can barely keep up with Yuanchun's expenses.If the Xue family's financial resources were used, there would definitely not be such troubles.Besides, my daughter in the palace thought that one day she would be able to climb that high branch. If she sent a girl in, maybe the "transport" that belonged to Yuanchun would be taken away by the girl who sent in?People are selfish. When she thought of her daughter and looked at what her sister wanted, Mrs. Wang immediately shut her mouth tightly and stopped talking.She still needs to calm down and think about this matter.

Seeing that her sister was silent, Aunt Xue was easy-going by nature and not as gloomy as Mrs. Wang, so she didn't think about other things, but thought that what she just said made her sister miss her daughter.So he quickly changed the subject and said: "Sister, your brother who was born with a psychic jade in his mouth is now grown up, why don't you see others today?"

As soon as the psychic treasure jade was mentioned, Mrs. Wang's expression changed immediately.

"Good sister, this matter must never be said again..." Mrs. Wang immediately covered Aunt Xue's mouth with her hand, and her expression became extremely serious, "It's a long story, and now the old lady has already issued a ban , No one is allowed to talk about this matter."

Seeing Mrs. Wang's serious and fearful expression, Aunt Xue was even more curious about what happened to her sister.

Seeing Aunt Xue's expression, Mrs. Wang waved away the people around her, and then told the story of Lin Fan smashing the psychic gem that day from beginning to end in detail.Naturally, when Mrs. Wang narrates it herself, it will be filled with emotions and her own emotional private goods. As the listeners, Aunt Xue and Baochai are like listening to an Arabian Nights. There is still such a 'sturdy and reckless' person living in the mansion.

Also, Mrs. Wang, her current attitude towards Lin Fan is a 'love-hate relationship'.

Let's talk about love, how could her son Jia Baoyu, such a brat, get up at dawn every day to say hello, and then go to study and write in the study without supervision.That girl from the Lin family didn't know what she said to him, it was more effective than what she said as a mother.Now Baoyu doesn't go out to mess around every day, but stays in the study every day and studies seriously.As a result, even the master was much happier, and praised the child for being sensible.This, let her 'love'.

But what she hated was that Baoyu was the son who was born, and every time his father praised him, he said that the so-called psychic jade confused his mind and prevented him from studying seriously.Because of this statement, the master doubted her a lot, and even the old lady suspected that she had done something wrong back then.But she really had a hard time and couldn't tell, that piece of jade was really not made by her from the beginning to the end, it was indeed brought from the fetus.Even she herself doubts sometimes, could it be that that thing is a filthy thing? !

Since Mrs. Wang mentioned jade and then Lin Fan, the topic changed direction naturally.Aunt Xue was very interested in the matter of Lin Fan mentioned by Mrs. Wang, so she had to ask a few more questions.

At this time, Amber, the maid beside the old lady, came over and said: "Ma'am, the old lady just asked me to pass the message, please come and have a chat with Mrs. Xue's family." With Aunt Xue and others, they are going to go to Jiamu's yard.

When Hu Po went to Mrs. Wang's place to deliver a message, Lin Fan also had guests here.

This guest was none other than Mrs. Wang's daughter-in-law Li Wan.

Lin Fan had just returned from Jia She's place, and when she was planning to send someone to look for Lin Bo at the Lin residence in Beijing, she brought Jia Lan over, and the maids invited Li Wan and Jia Lan into the second room. Entering the main room of the courtyard, Xinuange, they served tea and melons and fruits to entertain them.

Lin Fan hurriedly changed his clothes and came out to accompany him. He looked at the simple and elegant purses in the large black lacquer and gold-carved box placed on the mahogany inlaid white porcelain landscape painting kang table and several exquisite wishful and auspicious things. Suizi, and several pairs of insoles, Lin Fan knew Li Wan's reason for coming, and she was going back and forth.

"Sister-in-law, nephew Lan." Stepping into the room, Lin Fan took the initiative to greet the mother and son who were sitting at the kang table.When the mother and son saw Lin Fan coming in, they hurriedly got up and said hello. After Jia Lan stepped forward to salute Lin Fan, he obediently returned to sit beside his mother.The two maids who were standing on one side and came with Li Wan also came up to salute.After the ceremony, they were seated, and the topic was opened.

"Sister Lin, I'm here to disturb you. I didn't delay your afternoon homework, did I?"

Lin Fan walked over, sat down and said with a smile: "No, sister-in-law doesn't know, I'm lazy today too!"

Speaking of Li Wan, Lin Fan couldn't help but sigh.Widowed at a young age, life is hard.

A widow was regarded as an incomplete person in ancient times, even an unknown person.

Lin Fan has lived in Jia's mansion for more than ten days, and Li Wan is the only one who came to her house as a guest.Presumably, she was thinking about her identity as a widow, and she would not shy away from Lin Fan, a person who wears mourning, so she came here without any scruples.I also thought about the original book, when Lin Daiyu died, it happened to coincide with Baochai and Baoyu's great joy, and Li Wan definitely couldn't go to such an occasion.And at that time, beside Daiyu who was dying, Li Wan was also staying there.Suddenly thinking of the situation of the Jia family after the ransacking of the house, and Li Wan's verdict, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart.If she was allowed to wear Lin Fan as Li Wan, and if she was not allowed to divorce, then it would be impossible for her to die once.

"Sister Lin, thank you for the gift you gave me and Lan'er. He and I both like it very much." Li Wan said with a smile, pointing to the things on the kang table, "I made this with my own hands, I hope Sister Lin, you like it."

Lin Fan gave Yunxia who was following her a wink, and asked her to put away the box.Then he said with a smile to Li Wan: "Whatever sister-in-law says, I won't be polite to you."

As she spoke, she began to look at Li Wan carefully.On weekdays, she and Li Wan mostly met at Jiamu's place, and she never sat down and looked at each other slowly like now. When she saw Li Wan today, she saw Li Wan wearing a pine green long gown with a blue double front A half-arm gown, and a plain pleated skirt with wisteria-colored trim underneath.On the bun on the head, there is only a wooden plum blossom hairpin, and there are no other ornaments on the whole body.Seeing this, I suddenly thought of the almost abnormally harsh requirements for widows in this feudal society, and couldn't help but gasped slightly.Then look at the little child Jia Lan beside her, wearing a round-necked crow-blue embroidered satin gown with dark patterns of heaven and earth, Changchun, and a frost-colored gown with one skirt. The shadow, but also very cute and well-behaved.

"By the way, nephew Lan, do you like that book?" Lin Fan asked.

Lin Fan didn't like Jia Lan's judgment, and his mother taught him about the child.On the contrary, Jia Lan's attitude towards selling Sister Feng's daughter Qiaojie in the original book is still somewhat shadowed in Lin Fan's mind.What happened in the adults' generation has spread to the children's generation, whether it is good or bad.Lin Fan didn't know what was going on between Sister Feng and Li Wan, and he didn't want to find out now.For children, it is better to treat them with a simple mind.

"Aunt Lin, Lan'er likes the books you gave Lan'er." The childish answer warmed Lin Fan's heart.

Lin Fan smiled again: "It's fine if you like it." After saying that, he said to Xueyan who was standing beside him, "Xueyan, I remember that when Master Qi sent me to my grandmother last time, he prepared something for me. A large cart of good pens, inks, papers and inkstones, how can I use so much by myself, you can prepare a few copies, and I will give them to Nephew Lan."

As soon as Li Wan heard this, he pulled Jia Lan up and said, "I'm so sorry, I asked Sister Lin to..." Before she could finish her sentence, Lin Fan interrupted her, "What is sister-in-law talking about again?" Nonsense, where is the embarrassment coming from?"

Li Wan didn't talk much at first, but when Lin Fan said that, she had no right to talk back.So she said a lot of thanks, and Lin Fan was even more sure that this kind of widow's life had smoothed her passion for life.Just like what was described in that book, in the midst of the beautiful scenery, it is like a dead wood and ashes.She speaks very slowly and gently, just like her appearance, she is not very beautiful, but it is a kind of feeling that the more people look at her, the more gentle she is.Beautiful and dignified and restrained, it is indeed what a standard daughter-in-law of a wealthy family should have.She has a very good self-cultivation, and she exudes a sense of tranquility from the inside out.Lin Fan, a rough woman, has an impatient temper. Seeing Li Wan like this made her a little embarrassed.

Lin Fan and Lin Fan were talking on their side, but Amber, who had finished passing on the message to Mrs. Wang, came to Lin Fan, saying that the old lady wanted to see her.Li Wan also listened here, so he took Jia Lan back first, because she was a daughter-in-law, and her mother-in-law went to the old lady's place, and she hurried to wait on the rule-setter.

Lin Fan didn't stop him, he sent Li Wan away, and began to think about what Hu Po said.

After thinking about it, Lin Fan felt happy in his heart.

After a while, the old lady found out that she went to see her uncle Jia She.Isn't it really tiring to monitor the whole process at twelve o'clock every day? !Thinking of what Hu Po said just now that Aunt Xue's family who came today would also talk with Mrs. Wang in the old lady's yard, Lin Fan immediately rubbed his hands a little bit badly, and his blood was full in an instant.

Wait a minute, it's time for a good show.

Well, hurry up and dress up, today's scene is very important.