The Second Master of the Red Chamber

The Zhen family is an aristocratic family through and through, with internal and external divisions.

Therefore, after lunch accompanied by Zhen Yingjia and others, Jia Lian was ready to leave.

Before leaving, Zhen Yuhuan's maid found him and gave him a gift box.

"There are early cherries here. It is a gift prepared by our lady for Lord Hou. Please accept it."

Jia Lian recognized Zhen Yuhuan as her god-sister, and she also gave her a meeting gift in the old lady's house before.It is a piece of jade that he wears with him, and this is his routine operation.

Therefore, it is reasonable for Zhen Yuhuan to return him a gift.Returning to him such a cherished seasonal fruit is neither excessive nor shabby, and it is more reasonable.

I'm afraid, this may not be Zhen Yuhuan's own intention, maybe the old lady Zhen and others ordered her to do so.Jia Lian always felt that Mrs. Zhen had a cunning feeling. Although the Zhen family gave him enough courtesy when he came to the Zhen family this time, there was always a feeling of being calculated in his heart.

But it's okay, with the relationship between the two families, unless the Zhen family does something very stupid and troubles others, they are the strongest allies.Therefore, even if the Zhen family has some plans to get closer to him, it's fine.

"After I went back, I thanked my fourth sister for her kindness. I have other things to do, so I won't ask her to resign. If there is anything in the future, feel free to write to Beijing and tell me."

After receiving Jia Lian's order, the servant girl turned her head and ran away a little bit ashamedly.

At this time, Zhen Yutang, who was ordered to escort Jia Lian out, said with a smile: "My fourth younger sister recognized Lian's second elder brother as a righteous brother. Since then, the relationship between you and my family has become closer. If there is anything wrong with us in the future, please invite Lian Er Brother is willing to help."

"Brother Yutang is polite, with the reputation of the Zhen family, if there is anything I can help you with."

"Second Brother Lian was just joking. Although our family is well-known in the south of the Yangtze River, how can we be like Second Brother Lian, who has such a dangerous position among the elite families in Beijing, and even under the sage's family. In the future, I'm afraid there is still room to look up to Lian's second brother."

When Zhen Yutang said something, Jia Lian's expression changed, but seeing that he didn't mean to elaborate, he didn't ask any more questions.

Back at Xue's house, Xue's family was busy arranging to gather slaves and shopkeepers, etc. Jia Lian didn't want to interfere too much, so he walked to the backyard to look for Daiyu.

Sure enough, as soon as I arrived at the main hall, I saw Daiyu, accompanied by Baoqin, two little girls sitting on the swing frame, one on the left and one on the right, each holding a book, reading carefully under the pear blossoms.

The spring breeze blows over their dexterous and peerless faces, occasionally tripping a few snow-white pear blossoms, the scene looks peaceful and beautiful.

"Second Brother Lian!"

Seeing Jia Lian approaching, Xue Baoqin's eyes lit up, and she quickly jumped down to meet Jia Lian with her book in her arms.

Daiyu just glanced at Jia Lian, still sitting unsteadily, but suddenly gathered her beautiful legs that were kicking casually.And from the look in her eyes, it can be seen that the little girl is by no means indifferent to his arrival.

"Brother Lian, have you finished your work?"

"Ah."

Jia Lian brought the gift box hidden behind his back to the front and handed it to Baoqin with a smile.

"what is this."…

Bao Qin received the exquisite gift box, a little curious.

"You will know if you take it apart?"

Hearing what Jia Lian said, Baoqin thought it was a gift Jia Lian bought for them on the street, so she thanked her and immediately went back to Daiyu's side with her arms in her arms.

It's not easy for her to open it alone.

Daiyu didn't care because Jia Lian only brought gifts to Baoqin and not her. In fact, she was smarter than her peers since she was a child, and she became more mature and stable under Jia Lian's influence over the years.

In addition to being a little arrogant and petite when getting along with the Sanchun sisters in Rongguo Mansion and in private with Jia Lian, she is still very sensible in front of outsiders.

This is mostly due to the fact that Jia Lian took good care of her front and back affairs, so that she didn't feel neglected and despised at all, so she was naturally less sensitive.

Helping Baoqin to open the gift box, he found that there were two layers of oiled paper inside the wooden gift box, and inside the oiled paper, there were a lot of delicate purple-red cherries.

"Ah, what a fresh and big cherry."

Xue Baoqin was surprised.She has seen a lot of cherries, but it is very difficult to see cherries like this, and it feels like a special offer.

Daiyu also took a look, but suddenly asked Jia Lian, "Where did Second Brother get such good cherries?"

When she disassembled it just now, she felt that the gift box did not look like it was packaged by a street vendor, because it was too delicate.

At this time, looking at the fruits inside, they are arranged neatly one by one, and even the orientation of the fruit stems are arranged in a consistent and beautiful way.Daiyu felt that this kind of thing could only be done by ladies with nothing to do, such as herself.

Jia Lian didn't do anything wrong, so naturally he wasn't afraid of Daiyu's questioning.

He walked to the seat Xue Baoqin vacated, sat side by side with Daiyu, and then said with a smile: "Didn't I go to the Zhen family just now, this is a gift from the fourth lady of the Zhen family."

Um, Miss Fourth?
Daiyu's brows were slightly furrowed.

Jia Lian tilted his head to see it, and couldn't help smiling.He took out a cherry from the box Xue Baoqin was holding, threw it into his mouth and ate it, and then explained: "Sister Lin, do you still remember the two young masters of the Zhen family that I met on the street yesterday?"

Daiyu didn't speak, of course she remembered, that person was so similar to Jia Baoyu, it was hard for her not to remember.

"Didn't they say at the time that their fourth younger sister was very similar to yours? Today I went there, and when I saw it, I was almost taken aback. I thought you had gone to their house secretly."

Hearing what Jia Lian said, Daiyu hadn't expressed her opinion yet. Xue Baoqin, who was standing in front of the two, couldn't bear it, and asked curiously: "Is there such a coincidence? Then the fourth lady of the Zhen family really looks so similar to Sister Lin, Even Lian's second brother, you almost admitted your mistake?"

Because Jia Lian and Jia Lian were sitting on the swing frame and Bao Qin was standing alone holding the box, she was so curious that she couldn't help getting closer to Jia Lian.

Jia Lian saw that she was very cute when she spoke, and saw that she had been holding the box and refused to eat. Knowing that she was embarrassed, she picked up a cherry by the handle and fed it to her.

He was used to feeding Qingwen and Xiangling like this, and it was only after he finished that he realized that Daiyu was watching from the side.

With a glance in her eyes, it turned out that Daiyu's brows were tightly furrowed, which seemed to be full of taste.So he remained calm, immediately picked up another one, and fed it to Daiyu's mouth as if. …

Daiyu raised her head and said, "If I want to eat, I will take it myself, so you don't need to worry about it."

Jia Lian didn't mind either, and just threw it into his mouth.

Xue Baoqin had just accepted Jia Lian's feeding, and she didn't feel anything at first, but seeing Daiyu like this, Fang felt a little shy, so she immediately held the box a little higher and brought it to Daiyu.

Daiyu didn't want to refute Baoqin's face, so she picked one up slowly, but she didn't put it in her mouth in a hurry, but pretended to ask casually: "Even if she was born with some similarities with me, why is she so good-looking? She carefully prepared such a gift for you?

Could it be, second brother, you knew her before? "

Hmph, who would believe that I gave such a thoughtful gift on the first day I met him?

If you don't say it clearly, this girl won't eat it.

If it was said that Jia Lian hadn't fully understood Daiyu's thoughts before, now he heard the familiar tone, how could he still not understand.

He looked at Daiyu and laughed, and under Daiyu's gradually enlightened and annoyed expression, he explained: "Of course I didn't know each other before, if I did, I'll take you, Sister Lin, too. Let the two of you take a good look at each other.

As for why she gave the gift, there was indeed a reason. "

"What's the reason?" asked Bao Qin, a melon-eating crowd.

Jia Lian tilted his head, looked at Daiyu's face seriously, and reached out to lift up a strand of hair that was blown tousled by the spring breeze.

"I saw that she was born so similar to Sister Lin. Seeing her was like seeing Sister Lin. I loved her very much, so I asked her if she would recognize me as a god-brother, and she agreed. So, I I have recognized her as my younger sister, this is her kindness as a righteous sister, does Sister Lin have any questions?"

Daiyu originally wanted to interrogate Jia Lian, but just went out for a day, and picked up another lady!

But Jia Lian's sudden actions and loving eyes made him feel very uncomfortable, and his heart was pounding, and he didn't have the heart to think about anything else.Then I heard Jia Lian say that just because someone else looks like her, he loves her very much, and he feels even more ashamed. In front of Baoqin, he hurriedly lowered his head to look at the old pear tree root on the other side.

Although Baoqin is young, her mind is very delicate.

The performance of Jia Lian and Daiyu immediately made her realize that Lian's second elder brother and Lin's elder sister looked exactly like the couples in a storybook who were in love with each other!

But isn't Lian's second elder brother already married?

Baoqin had some doubts in her heart, but she didn't show it. She just quietly moved from Jia Lian's side to Daiyu, so as not to make Daiyu jealous.Then holding the box, eating fruit while watching a play.

But she didn't have time to find out more, because her mother came to find her after a while.

"The shopkeeper and the stewards are all here, my sister asked me to invite Lord Hou."

The second wife is still so slender and tall, with a graceful figure, with breasts and buttocks, strong capital, walking swaying, with the meaning of leading the coquettish.

"Hey, girl, where did you get this box of fruit, and you don't know how to be filial to your mother, so you hugged it and ate it alone."

"It was given by Lian's second brother."

The second lady, who had already picked up two from the box, immediately looked at Jia Lian when she heard the words, and a smile filled her eyes. …

Not in vain of her hard work last night, Jia Lian started treating her daughter well, he is really a nice man.

In front of Daiyu, Jia Lian did not dare to meet the eyes of the second lady, otherwise if Daiyu saw something, it would not be a landslide.So she nodded slightly, without looking at the second lady, she just gave Daiyu some instructions, then got up and walked out.

The second lady hurriedly followed, and felt that the cherries were delicious, so she turned around and took a few more, and touched Bao Qin's head, "You can't eat alone, you have to give more to your sister Lin, you know."

"Understood mother, you go quickly."

Baoqin urged the second lady to leave with some embarrassment.

This kind of thing, where does the second lady need to tell her, she feels that her mother always treats her as an ignorant child, which makes her feel uncomfortable a lot of the time.

In contrast, the aunts respect their children's opinions more.

Seeing the second lady give her a blank look before chasing Jia Lian away, Baoqin said to Daiyu a little embarrassedly: "Sister Lin, don't mind, my mother is like this, in fact she is very kind."

When Daiyu heard this, she turned her eyes away from the second lady's back and looked at Baoqin.

Like Jia Lian, she felt that Baoqin's beautiful appearance, which was much higher than that of girls in the world, was born out of her mother.

What is rare is that since her mother is a concubine, she seems so casual at home and has a good attitude.

This point is quite different from those aunts and elders she has seen before.

Among other things, the concubines of the two uncles in the Rongguo Mansion each had their own hardships.She didn't want to mention the first uncle's concubines, only the decent second uncle, his two concubines, one Aunt Zhou was invisible all year round, like an invisible person in the mansion.

Sister Tanchun's mother, Aunt Zhao, was hated by others, and she was powerful and caring, so Daiyu didn't think much of her.

Even my father's two concubines were very cautious in front of their father and mother, and they didn't dare to say a word wrong...

She thought that those were all the living conditions of the concubine's room, but it wasn't until she came to Xue's house that she suddenly discovered that the concubine's room could also live so free and easy.

"Sister Qin, your mother, has the relationship with your aunt always been so good?"

"Yes, as long as I can remember, my mother and my aunt have always had a good relationship... I know what you mean, sister Lin, our family is different, anyway, I have never seen my aunt bullying my mother. "

As soon as Daiyu heard it, she knew that Baoqin had misunderstood her, so she quickly explained: "Girl Qin, don't mind, I didn't mean that."

Bao Qin shook her head indifferently, and said with a smile: "Sister Lin, you don't need to explain, I understand. Come on, let's eat the fruit."

Speaking of which, Baoqin handed the box to Daiyu, and she pulled the rope to sit on the swing again, and then the two little girls continued to talk privately about the little sisters while enjoying the fruit.

……

Under the hall of the Xue family, the main shopkeepers and stewards of the entire Xue family in Jinling City gathered.

At this moment, they were all a little uneasy.

Just because, at this time, around the compound, a circle of officers and soldiers stood neatly.

These officers and soldiers not only wore armor and brought knives, but also stared at them fiercely, as if they dared to make the slightest movement and were about to come up and chop them. …

Those who are slaves of the Xue family and have ghosts in their hearts are naturally very guilty and afraid.

Even those shopkeepers who are not slaves can't help worrying.

They are not servants of the Xue family. According to the king's law, the Xue family has no right to lynch them.But Xue's family is one of the four major families in the old capital. Once they are offended, there are many ways to deal with them.

He couldn't help thinking, could it be that the Xue family's mistress is really in trouble, and she really wants to let the Xue family members replace them?

If that's the case, just watch, in a few years, the Xue family's family business should be divided up!
Not long after, I suddenly saw a young and handsome man slowly walking out from the hall.

Behind him, followed by the second housewife of the Xue family's direct lineage and the young master Xue Biao.

Without waiting for them to salute, the officers and soldiers lined up neatly all around shouted in unison: "See Lord Hou!"

Everyone was startled, one was because of the loud and deafening voices of these officers and soldiers, and the other was naturally because of their names.

Undoubtedly, Master Hou must be referring to the young man in front of him.

Everyone involuntarily bent their bodies down a little.

"Let me introduce first, I am the second-class Marquis of Zhenyuan, Jia Lian, from Rongguo Mansion in Beijing.

As the Xue family, everyone must know the relationship between the Xue family and our Rongguo Mansion.

I don't know, I can say it again.The wife of the head of your Xue family is the direct sister of the head wife of my Rongguo Mansion.

Moreover, Benhou's wife and your wife have the same surname, and they are the nieces of your wife's natal family.

There are these two layers of relationship, so Benhou can call your wife Auntie or Auntie.

I say that, do you understand? "

At this time, most of the people in the compound were people who held important positions in the Xue family's property, so naturally they didn't understand the situation of the Xue family.

Everyone who had expected such a frightening battle today, after hearing Jia Lian's opening, immediately became more certain that something big was going to happen today.

There are smart ones, who immediately stepped forward with a smile, and began to flatter and get close.

Jia Lian interrupted them, "As the saying goes, the state owns the state law, and the family has family rules. Some people have been slaves for a long time, and they think they are masters. Maybe they think that the real master is far away in Beijing, and they can't take care of the south. If you put it in your eyes, you will become more courageous, and you will dare to try what you should do and what you should not do."

As soon as Jia Lian said this, many people's complexions changed, and then they began to cry for grievances.

I saw Jia Lian raised his hand and pressed it, and then there was a neat shout from around:

"quiet."

Everyone was too frightened to speak up.

"The Marquis doesn't care which of you are wronged, these are things your wives should consider.

Benhou came here today just because it is inconvenient for your wife to go back to the south to take care of these bad things in person, so please ask me to clean up her old man's atmosphere and clean up corruption.

Among you, do you disagree with this and feel that this Marquis is not qualified to meddle in the affairs of the Xue family?If so, you can stand up now. "

Everyone in the Xue family looked at each other in blank dismay, no one dared to stand up in this situation.

This is the wife's nephew and son-in-law, who came here at the order of the wife.Not to mention, he was still a dignified Marquis and brought soldiers. Obviously, at this time, following the other party's wishes, it is possible to have a good death.

If you dare to stand up and oppose, I'm afraid life and death will be unpredictable.

Few people who can reach this position are stupid. No matter how stupid they are, no one dares to be the first bird if others dare not stand out.

"Very good, since that's the case, Ben Hou doesn't need to talk nonsense, and directly announces the result of your wife's disposal."

As Jia Lian said, he directly took out a booklet from his bosom, glanced at the people sweating on their foreheads, and read slowly:

"Xue's pawnshop, Zhang Decheng, the chief shopkeeper of Jinling City, used the public to benefit his own interests, made false accounts indiscriminately, and connived at the subordinates to do things like extorting people's property, which ruined the reputation of Xue's pawnshop. He was removed from the position of chief shopkeeper, and Ding, the shopkeeper of Zhonglou West Street pawnshop, was replaced. Chun served as the general manager.

Nianzhang Decheng has served as the shopkeeper of Xue's house for more than ten years, and he has made great contributions. He wears a staff of sixty and pays a fine of 3000 taels of silver within three days. "

"Ye Dazhuang, the shopkeeper of the Xuejiabu shop... with a stick of eighty, took back his property, and sold the dental shop for a family of five."

"The head shopkeeper of the seven grain shops of Xue's family in Jinling City...with a stick of forty, and if he pays a fine of 800 taels of silver within three days, he will be gracious and not sent to the government."

"The Xue family..."

……