Picturesque Rivers and Mountains in the Red Chamber

115 Chapter 3.22
Volume Three

3.22 Sister Bao is from a business background after all.
Of course, Zhou Yang didn't just leave the Rongguo Mansion's family. In fact, his most important relationship in Wu Xun is not the Jia family, but the Chen family of Qi Guogong's mansion. On the eighth day of the eighth day, he spent a whole day with Chen Ruiwen. Talking, and drinking with Chen Yejun, but this kind of thing just goes back and forth, without much reality.

Although other families had to make a trip to give them gifts, it was just a matter of meeting and talking, not even a banquet. In the end, they only had a banquet for martial arts disciples on the twelfth year, and there was no If you don't get the treatment of the head table, you just drink and eat meat and say a few New Year greetings.

It was the fifteenth day in a blink of an eye, and Zhou Yang didn't go out again this morning. Although he was lying in the study room with the "Seven Books of Wu Jing" that he was about to vomit, he didn't know where he went, and even more so from time to time. He glanced at the gate, obviously waiting for someone, but he didn't wait until half past time when he finally heard the noise at the gate.

"I've met Brother Zhou!" After waiting for nearly an incense stick, there were even a few quarrels coming from the front. Finally, three big and small lolita girls of the same style but different colors pushed each other into the main hall and walked towards the main hall. Zhou Yang, who was already sitting and waiting for someone, gave a blessing, "I'm going to disturb you again today, I hope Brother Zhou doesn't mind!"

"Haha, I'm afraid you won't come!" Zhou Yang stood up with a smile and bowed his hands in response. After saying that, he looked at the master and servant Li Wan who entered the door last and said with a smile, "I just don't know how I found the time to sit in my little place today. sit?"

"Hee hee, Brother Zhou is kind!" Li Wan smiled and nodded, but before he could speak, the youngest Xichun jumped out and said, "Today was decided by the mansion, and our ancestors arranged for us to come out of the inner courtyard of the mansion and follow us together. He went to Chengtian Gate to watch the Lantern Festival fireworks, he didn't expect that the rules were changed this year, and the guests who received the post could only bring one waiter with them."

"That's right!" Li Wan took up the conversation with a smile, "It's not just that, in previous years there was usually only one dinner table tonight, and the concubine would come out in person to have a drink and chat with all the wives, this year it's the Empress Empress, The banquet time was also changed to noon, and only some side dishes and fruits were provided to fill the stomach while waiting for the fireworks in the evening.

In this way, the originally agreed to go out and let the wind go, but the old ancestor finally decided to follow Feng girl. The wife and the eldest wife have some entertainment on weekdays, and there is no shortage of going out this time. The three younger ones did not follow, and finally After pestering for a long time, the ancestor reluctantly agreed to let me take him out for a walk.

During the day, I walked around the streets, and when I got tired, I arranged to rest in my old house. However, the house was not used for some days, so how could it be a place to receive guests?This reminds me of Brother Zhou. Anyway, you and sister Qingwen are just relaxing at home, so it can be more lively together, right?We apologize for any inconvenience caused! "

"Okay, what's the trouble?" Zhou Yang couldn't help but laugh, "I heard the news from you two days ago, and I was very busy. It happened that a few baskets of sea fish were sent over from Xuezihao. Although It's frozen, so it doesn't taste as good as fresh fish, but if you can eat seafood nowadays, it's pretty decent.

Don’t worry about dinner, I’ve also prepared a lot of vegetables for the greenhouse. Although it’s just some bean sprouts, garlic, green vegetables, etc., it’s delicious in the winter. Plus, I arranged the kitchen to learn from Kawachi’s "Hot pot," I hope you still want to eat it after it - it's a pity that I don't have the means to grow vegetables in winter, but I don't dare to mess around in Beijing. "

Of course he is talking about the winter greenhouse. There is definitely no transparent plastic sheeting in this era, but it is not impossible to replace it with wooden shelves and flat glass. Relying on the Xue family's sea trade business, these are not problems, but with his With my current status, I really don’t have the guts to do something so big.

"But it's nonsense again. It would be nice to have some greenhouse vegetables in winter. Do you still want to eat cucumbers and beans?" Li Wan said lightly, his watery eyes almost melting someone, "It's from the front yard. Regarding manpower, I need to trouble Brother Zhou to arrange one or two."

"Who is here this time?" Zhou Yang didn't explain, and turned the topic to business.

"It's from Lin Zhixiao's family, with a few wives." Li Wan said with a smile, "It's a good arrangement to take the lead, but those wives are not easy to talk to. Fortunately, sister Qingwen just had a bad mouth, and the Li family Brother's help made them lose the courage to speak, but..."

"After beating the stick, we have to prepare the sweet dates no matter what." Zhou Yang nodded and understood what she meant, "After all, you are going to sit at Wang Hanlin's house. When you enter the inner courtyard, you will be waited on by the Wang family's maids. It's fair to say, but it can't be too ugly, so that they don't have to go back and talk. Don't worry, I arranged food and drinks for them in the front yard separated by the West Cross Courtyard, and also arranged a room for them to rest. It's just for viewing before leaving. Some broken silver and big coins.”

"Pfft..." Tanchun on the side couldn't help laughing, "Speaking of this service thing, I remember that there is only one sister Qingwen in the Zhou family yard, right? I wonder what brother Zhou is planning to do?" "Naughty !" Li Wan smiled and patted her gently, but he did not forget to taunt someone, "You are a trouble-free person. These days, except for the twelve housekeepers in the east cross courtyard, all the people from the west of the city are actually here. Shilipu bought two servants, and it happened that the male servant was responsible for chores and foreign affairs, and the mother-in-law was placed in the kitchen and inner courtyard.

Even their sons have been bought by you a long time ago and arranged among the twelve men, but you never thought of buying a few girls. As a result, in this inner courtyard, only Qingwen has such a spacious place. As a younger sister, I am not afraid of exhausting others. "

"Okay, just as Qingwen has made arrangements to come back, let her take you to Xikuoyuan. I have prepared a lot of gadgets in the greenhouse, which this girl picked out herself. Of course, if you don't like it, "Zhou Yang smiled and revealed the benefits, not forgetting to deliberately take advantage of Qiao.

"Thank you, Brother Zhou!" Xichun cheered, and dragged Tanchun to the backyard. She didn't even care about Qingwen who was supposed to lead the way. Li Wan shook her head while watching, and Zhou Yang couldn't help laughing and waved her hands. Signal Qingwen to follow.

"Okay, there's nothing wrong with children loving to play. They're just twelve or thirteen-year-old girls. Do you still want to raise them into ladies now?" Zhou Yang said with a smile. Just entered junior high school, how much more can I ask for, "Why, doesn't the second sister like it?"

"No, no!" Unexpectedly, Yingchun was quite nervous, and her little face looked a little flushed, which reminded Zhou Yang that she had not spoken since she arrived, "I just feel that Brother Zhou is working so hard, but we don't know How should I repay, I have some thoughts in my heart"

"Huh?" Zhou Yang realized something was wrong and subconsciously looked at Li Wan, only to see that the beautiful young woman didn't say anything, but her beautiful eyes deliberately glanced back and forth at the two of them, with a teasing smile on her lips.

"Yeah -" Yingchun's originally reddish cheeks suddenly turned red to the root of her neck. She almost staggered and blessed her randomly. She said "Little sister, go talk to them" and ran to Xikuoyuan without looking back. .

"What did you do again?" Seeing that no one else was around, Zhou Yang hugged Li Wan angrily, gave her a slap and said, "Second sister is not very active, if she is really scared If you leave her, it won’t be easy for you to talk to her when you go back.”

"You!" Li Wan shook his head with a smile, turned to signal Su Yun who was covering his mouth and snickering beside him to go out, and then said, "What I said last time, you just ignored it? The second sister has a good temper, and She is the concubine of the Duke's palace, could it be possible that she has wronged you?"

"Have you mentioned it to her?" Zhou Yang was stunned for a moment, and then he understood the reason for Yingchun's blushing. He felt that he couldn't laugh or cry, "Didn't I tell you that I have a lifelong contract with Baochai? Let's not talk about other things. Can this Chen Shimei's hat still be worn on my own head?"

"I've heard you say it too, so I know what you mean." Li Wan smiled faintly, "Sister Kebao is a merchant after all. You have actually entered the official career now. If it is just your current martial arts status, that's it. You will be waiting for March After the examination, a Wu Jinshi will definitely be indispensable. After the official is awarded at the end of the year, is it possible that a merchant's daughter will be needed as the main wife?

I know you are reliable, but this matter of marriage is not something that can be described in a simple sentence of "two people are happy". If not, how can the ancient saying of "a good match" come from ancient times?If you insist on marrying your younger sister, that's okay. It's normal for a man to have three wives and four concubines. If you insist on choosing her as your main wife, it may not be a good thing for her or even the Xue family. "

"Let's do this for now!" Zhou Yang frowned. His interactions with various families these days also allowed him to truly see that the strictness and cruelty of "superior and inferior" in the feudal era cannot be explained in just a few words. Li Wan came from a family of poets and writers, so it's not surprising that he looked down on merchants.

Anyone who knows a little bit about "Dream of Red Mansions" knows that with Xue Baochai's appearance and talent, let alone being his main wife, or putting him in the palace. Not to mention the queen, there is absolutely no problem with the concubine and the like, but the Xue family Her background as a merchant prevented her from even qualifying for the selection of "Princess's Attendant" in the original work; Jia's mother had never been interested in a marriage candidate with Jia Baoyu's conditions in the first eighty chapters.

"You think about it again!" Li Wan looked at his expression, smiled and didn't say any more, but his eyes fell on Zhou Yang like water, and his smile became more and more charming
(End of this chapter)