By Jia Xiuzhen

The members of the Maliu family married Jia Min to the Lin family back then, and they thought that one day they would be able to move from the historian's family to the Jia family like Lai Nai, so that they could earn a bit of respect in the Lin family.But I didn't expect that the heart is high and the destiny is weak, and the world is unpredictable, but now it is rare to even have a companion who can talk happily.After finally getting Mrs. Yu to come, I wish I could say all the words of these 800 years at once.After changing five or six cups of tea, seeing that it was getting dark, I had to let him go.She was courteous and delivered to the door, nagging her to come and see her more when she had time.

Granny Yu still had a purse in her bosom that she intended to reward people with clichés, so it was a waste of time to think about it.I didn't bother at all, just nodded my head, responded with ah and ah, just sat and listened and memorized it in my heart.Maybe this purse will belong to me. I really hope that the Lin family will move back and forth twice more, and I will have my savings for several years in these few trips. I am really overjoyed.

Excitedly rushing back to the mansion, before he had time to change into clothes, he went to Mrs. Wang to answer.Yu Tian, ​​the younger brother of Mrs. Yu, is now in charge of the worship expenses in various temples, and she has a bit of face in front of Mrs. Wang. Mrs. Yu was also a servant in front of Mrs. Wang in her early years.But when she entered the room and kowtowed, Mrs. Wang just nodded her head, and she said everything she needed to inquire about, and even spared a few words for those who didn't ask about it, thinking that it might be useful.

"The servant girl said that since Miss Lin went back, the uncle reckoned that he was not in good shape, so he made many arrangements. In the next few months, even the concubines were dismissed.

Now the property in the south is managed by the former housekeeper of the Lin family, and there are some in the capital, but not many, and it is Miss Lin who takes care of it herself.Not as rich as expected.This time on the boat to Beijing, there were some things packed up from the house in the Houyamen in Yangzhou, and some bulky and difficult to carry things were moved to the ancestral house in Gusu.A total of three or four small ships were loaded, most of which were ancient books, calligraphy and paintings.I saw people moving in and out, but I didn't see any particularly heavy boxes.

The number of servants in the Lin family is small, and food is not as good as in our house. My sister has been cooking for so many years, and now she is alone. She looks quite frugal, and is worse than the third-class woman in our house. . "

Mrs. Wang nodded slightly after hearing this, and asked again: "What do the girls and nanny who brought in last time say? I think even the old lady thinks highly of it."

Mrs. Yu replied: "Going back to Madam, it means that those who used to serve in the back house of the yamen are not from the Yangzhou Lin's Mansion. The old people who went with the aunt and wife in the mansion earlier, there are not many people who come back with them now. They all took root in the south.”

Mrs. Wang asked again: "The Lin family has several generations of princes, and their family background is not ordinary. Now it is the eldest girl and the children who are taking care of the family? She has come to us since she was a child, and she has never learned how to manage the house. How can she do it?" Do those?"

Mrs. Yu replied: "My aunt took Miss Lin back and found someone to teach these people, and now there are still people around to help."

Mrs. Wang pondered for a while, and then whispered, "This Lin family... how much money does the Lin family have now... but no one knows?"

Mrs. Yu said: "Listen to the meaning of the slave girl's words...My aunt is not good at economics, and she specializes in some rare calligraphy and paintings, so many family fortunes have been invested there. And there are also some apportionments in the yamen, and I also spent a lot of money. The meaning behind the words is that there is no way to compare with our mansion."

Mrs. Wang nodded, and said calmly: "It's hard to make this trip for you. This nephew and relative are afraid that she will be deceived by the slaves if they are far away, and afraid that she will be paranoid when they are close, so I have to find out the news first. Thank you, Caixia. "

Caixia listened outside, took a purse and handed it to Mrs Yu, who quickly kowtowed to thank her.

Coming out of Mrs. Wang's courtyard, holding the purse in her hand, before she could open it, a little girl came over and said, "Mama Yu, the old lady wants to ask you something."

Madam Yu was startled, but she didn't show it on her face, she smiled and followed the little girl.All the way around, she made side-by-side remarks, but the little girl was really too young, she was just able to speak the whole thing clearly, and couldn't ask anything else.

When Jiamu went to the room, Mrs. Yu kowtowed to greet her. Jiamu was wearing presbyopic glasses to look at the embroidered pieces in the gift she received a while ago.When I had a cup of tea, I asked: "Go to the Lin family to find relatives and talk? What did you find out?"

Mrs. Yu smiled and replied: "Returning to the old lady, I got news a few days ago that my aunt's cousin returned to Beijing with the eldest girl, I don't know if it's true, I went to look for it today, and I really came back. It’s hard to see each other, and we talked for a while.”

Jia Mu said, "Oh, how is your sister?"

Mrs. Yu replied: "Sister servant girl is a poor man. Back then, my aunt decided to marry the son of the Lin family's cook. She would have been widowed for only three years without leaving a bloodline. She served the mother-in-law at home. The same mother and daughter, her mother-in-law disappeared the year before last. Others advised her to remarry, but she said that if she married, the family would lose even a paper burner, so she simply stayed with her."

Jiamu's expression softened slightly, and she said, "He's kind."

Granny Yu took the opportunity to say: "He's a nice person, but he's a bit more secretive. The people who accompanied the aunt in the early years have now taken root in the south in nine out of ten, and few come back with the eldest girl. She can't find anything on weekdays. But the speaker, this time dragged the servant to talk alive all afternoon, and the tea was refilled ten times. If it wasn't dark, she would still be reluctant to leave the servant."

Jia Mu smiled and said, "When I get old, I want to talk about the past. According to what you said, she can't find anyone to talk to." Then she asked, "Since I'm going to visit relatives, why don't I talk about changing my body when I come back?" Clothes come in again, and go straight to the wife?"

Mrs. Yu said: "Because I have sent people several times before but failed to pick up Miss Lin back, my wife is worried that I don't know what's going on in Lin's mansion, and I'm afraid that there may be some slaves tricking and purposely making the girl alienated from the mansion. How about taking care of the girl. The servant went back, listened to the servant’s sister, and mentioned a few things about the servant in the mansion. So I thought about telling the wife quickly, so that the wife can rest assured.”

Jia Mu asked, "Oh? What else is there to say? Let's hear it."

Mrs. Yu hurriedly said: "The slave girl said that the girls who serve in front of her now are the people who were served by the aunt when she lived in the yamen. They are the same as those in the Yangzhou mansion. None of them were selected." Mother Jia nodded after hearing this, and Granny Yu said a few trivial matters in Lin's residence, and Mother Jia let her back down.

Mrs. Yu was invited by Mrs. Jia to ask questions. As soon as she left, Mrs. Wang got a letter.Just when Aunt Xue was there, the two looked at each other and smiled, tacit understanding.

Mrs. Wang said: "The lady went to the Lin Mansion to meet her relatives today. I just called over and asked a few questions. I didn't expect the old lady to stare at her."

Aunt Xue said with a smile: "The old lady has always taken Miss Lin seriously, so naturally she takes a close look at her."

Mrs. Wang sighed: "Before Zhou Rui's family went to pick it up, but they didn't come. The old lady asked Zhu's daughter-in-law to pick it up a few times, but she still didn't come. I think the old lady feels a little uncomfortable."

Aunt Xue said with a smile: "Master Lin has such a big event, and it is still unknown whether he is alive or dead. If we have to take care of everyone's business, I'm afraid I won't be free."

Mrs. Wang smiled and said: "Although the ancestors were also nobles, but the population is not prosperous, and now they have completely declined. There are still many things to take care of."

Aunt Xue said: "Sister's words are left. We outsiders speak some layman's terms and just calculate casually. Which of the Lin family's mistresses is not from a prominent background? All of them are very famous when they enter the house. The Lin family has few children. I can't raise a few slaves, and I have never married a daughter. How much dowry do these generations have?

Back then, Princess Minjia and Princess Minhui had the same mother. Princess Minjia married into the Lin family, and Princess Minhui married into the Gu family.Later, Princess Minhui left a will and divided her dowry equally among the three daughters-in-law, which had passed through the yamen. The income of each of the several farms was close to ten thousand taels a year, which is not a big deal.Princess Minjia is more loved by princes and concubines than Princess Minhui, so the dowry should be much more.

The Lin family has never had a prodigal son, but three generations of Tanhualang. How much was the reward from the Tian family when they were conferred the title of Marquis?You can't just say no and it's gone.Originally, I heard that Master Lin was not well, and he thought he would leave Lian'er there to tidy up for a few months. Who would have thought that there would be such a big happy event in the mansion, and he would not care about the other side. "

Mrs. Wang's complexion was as usual, but her heart beat much faster.Others don't know that the Duke's mansion is really just a show, and if there is not enough money and property to throw in, I'm afraid it won't last long.Now that Yuanchun has to be awarded a high position, and when he needs to spend money even more in the future, if he can get up, Baoyu might even become an uncle of the country.The more I thought about it, the hotter my heart became, but my face remained calm, and I talked to Aunt Xue about the other housework.

The next day, Mrs. Wang went to Jiamu's place to say hello, and said: "There have been many things in the mansion these days. The daughter-in-law is really not capable enough, and she has lost sight of the other. I heard that it will be a while before the eldest girl returns to Beijing. No matter how many things there are in the mansion, there is still a lot to do." Can she really rely on her to take care of a little girl's house? It's not a long-term solution to live alone outside. I think that I will bring Tanchun to pick her up in two days, so that the old lady can feel at ease , and save my magic star from pestering me every day."

Jia Mu lowered her eyelids slightly, not knowing the true meaning of Mrs. Wang's move, but she really thought of Daiyu in her heart, and said, "Now that the garden is being repaired again, and Feng girl is not feeling well these days, where do you have that free time? Or Let the sisters go there, but girl Feng couldn't get away, so she asked Zhu's daughter-in-law to accompany her."

Mrs. Wang said: "Zhu'er's daughter-in-law also went there not once or twice, and she never brought her back, and she didn't even ask for a word. The garden is not a matter of a day or two. The eldest girl brought her back. After returning home, the old lady is also relieved, it will not be too late to talk about the garden."

When Jia Mu saw her saying this, she was also happy. She thought it was because Baoyu had made a fuss, and said, "Since you say so, you can arrange it yourself."

In this way, the next morning, Mrs. Wang took Yingchun, Tanchun and Baochai to Lin's mansion, but Xichun couldn't go with her because of the cold.Daiyu got the letter the day before yesterday, and sent people to wait at the gate early in the morning. When she saw the carriages and horses of the Rongguo Mansion from a distance, she led people to the second gate to meet her.

Mrs. Wang got out of the car, and Daiyu came forward to pay her respects. She was helped up by Mrs. Wang and said, "My family doesn't need such vain gifts." She looked at it carefully for a moment and said, "After all, she has lost a lot of weight. The old lady must feel distressed when she sees her." of."

All of them got out of the car for a while, and after meeting each other, they went in together.Mrs. Wang paid attention all the way, and saw that the buildings and gardens of the Lin Mansion were all elegant and simple, without the slightest aura of wealth and nobility, so she couldn't guess the Lin family's roots for a while.When he arrived at Tsinghua Court, he saw the corridors surrounding the embroidered building and the translucent glazed windows from a distance, so he slightly squinted his eyes and became closer to Daiyu.

Daiyu also thought about going to visit Jia Mu in the next few days, but now seeing Mrs. Wang coming in person, she felt very sorry.Because I still had to pack some things and couldn't leave right away, I made two appointments to send someone to pick them up the next day.

At night, Guiliu was still watching the night, wondering whether he should follow him, so he asked Daiyu, "Girl, do you have something important to watch at home?"

Now Daiyu is used to her often saying strange words, so she said, "What? You still want to stay here and guard the house?"

Gui Liu nodded and said, "If there is something important, no matter how many people inspect it, it is better for me to stay at home."

Daiyu thought that she was talking about her own storerooms, so she smiled and said, "It's just a few storehouses, and someone will guard them at night. It's the same when we go there, but the women who guard there love to gamble and drink. , we don’t have that atmosphere in our house.”

Guiliu asked again: "The things in the library are very important?" Isn't there no silver 300 taels here without setting up a few formations but sending a group of people with ordinary kung fu to guard them?

How did Daiyu know that she was slandering her, so she thought for a while and said: "The warehouses of each house are just money and treasures. For clothes, materials and medicinal materials, the most important thing is the bank, where the silver is stored."

Gui Liu sighed when she thought of this, this place is really weird, not to mention paying the bill with spirit stones and spirit crystals, but paying for scraps of iron that are of no use.The gold and silver are used for two purposes besides the gold pith and silver oil in them. The shell is too heavy to make a bowl, so I really don't know what good it is.And I didn't see anyone refining weapons here, wearing some cumbersome gadgets that have neither defensive attributes nor attacking, I don't know what the fun is.

After thinking about it, he said to Daiyu, "Girl? Do you like those things very much? Gold and silver?"

But Daiyu said: "What's there to like. But the daily expenses of the mansion and the livelihood of a group of people cannot be separated from these."

Guiliu then said, "If I want that thing, I can't get some of it. Girl, don't give me so much money in the future. How about some tea?"

Daiyu's here often has spirit tea sent by Li Wan, and other people can't taste it well, and only Daiyu can taste the true taste.Gui Liuyuan felt deeply, and naturally loved this very much.

Daiyu laughed and said, "That's silly, I am the only one who loves to drink tea, and you love it too, so I will share it with you in the future. The monthly money is for your daily expenses, so you don't want it." But what are you spending? You can’t talk about where you got it, and you call it a thief without telling, so it’s possible that you still want to rob and steal? You’re not a person!”

Guiliu hurriedly argued: "Miss, you're thinking about it! There are so many unowned things buried in the ground in the mountains and fields of gold and silver, so how can they be stolen?"

Daiyu clapped her hands and said, "You girl, you know how to search for mines! It's just that there are gold and silver stones in the mines, and they have to be refined from them. How can a little girl like you do it? You're talking nonsense." gone."

But Guiliu couldn't explain this matter clearly, it would be too far-reaching to start from the beginning, so she just pouted and said, "Young lady just doesn't believe me, I'll find some to show the young lady in a few days!"

Daiyu only thought of her temper as a child, so she casually comforted her, "Well, well, sister Liu'er is the best, she can do everything."

Gui Liu snorted softly: "That's not true." She said in her heart that compared to mere mortals, this fairy's skills are naturally miraculous.