Uncle Lai in the Red Chamber

Chapter 317

At the same time, after Mrs. Wang punished Zicuckoo, she left the Grand View Garden and came to the small courtyard in the northeast corner of the Xue family.

Aunt Xue welcomed her into the hall and asked, "Why is sister here?"

The two sisters sat down on both sides of the kang table. Mrs. Wang dismissed the servants and said: "Miaoyu's matter has been dealt with. Of course, Baoqin's matter must be settled. You send someone to the front yard to call brother Brother. !”

Yuanchun made it clear that the emperor was still waiting for feedback, so she naturally did not dare to neglect.

"This... so urgent?"

Aunt Xue did not expect that things would happen so quickly. Although she agreed with this method, she had not yet made a good mental preparation and did not know how to speak to the second room.

Mrs. Wang ignored this. She had no room for failure when it came to Lai Shangrong. She didn't expect Aunt Xue, she only needed her, Xue Baoqin's aunt, to be a good foil.

He blamed: "This is a good thing, of course the sooner the better!"

Aunt Xue could only bite the bullet and send someone to call Xue Biao.

a while.

Xue Biao came in and saw Mrs. Wang sitting in the hall, and couldn't help but be slightly stunned.

Then he seemed to think of something, and he bowed hurriedly and calmly to say hello.

Before Mrs.

How could he not know about things that were common knowledge in the streets and alleys.

When Xue Biao heard about it, he couldn't help feeling uneasy. The bad reputation of his daughter's family was not only his own business, but also related to his family, and even Mrs. Wang, a godmother, was not immune.

When he saw Mrs. Wang coming straight to the point, he just thought it was because she wanted to investigate the case. The Mei family had already canceled the engagement. If the Rongguo Mansion was worried about damaging its reputation and canceled the engagement again, it would really be a loss on both ends.

But this can't be blamed on the Rong family, let alone Lai Shangrong, who spread the scandal. After all, the source of the news came from the Mei family.

Originally, such news would usually be avoided by the parties involved, but for people like Feng Ziying, Xue Baoqin could be favored by Lai Shangrong. They did not think it was something to be ashamed of, but rather envious.

These days, he has also realized the benefits of the scandal between Xue Baoqin and Lai Shangrong. At least Feng Ziying and others who used to ignore him are now carefully accompanying him everywhere.

"Back to the second wife, these are all acts of revenge by the Mei family. Baoqin has been cautious since entering the house and has never given or received anything in private..."

Mrs. Wang interrupted: "I live in our house, how can I still be unclear? It's just that the Yin family is not kind to others, and the Mei family is really hateful!"

Then the conversation changed: "It's just that although we all know it, the outside world can't tell clearly. Girl Qin has been completely harmed by the Mei family."

"Madam! Baoqin is your goddaughter. You can't ignore her and watch her being slandered!"

Xue Biao was afraid that Mrs. Wang would break off the engagement, so he deliberately took the initiative to put the relationship on the table to make it difficult for her to open her mouth.

Mrs. Wang smiled and said: "How could it be! Since I recognize her as my goddaughter, of course I have to take care of her to the end!"

Hearing this, Xue Biao couldn't help but let out a long breath.

He hurriedly bowed and said, "Thank you, madam! Thank you, madam!"

Mrs. Wang sighed: "Oh! A while ago, I made a special trip to the palace to report this matter to the empress.

The empress said that a woman should never marry two husbands. Now that she had been divorced by the Mei family, and there were rumors about Shang Rong, it would be better to marry Qin girl to Shang Rong, so that it would sound better no matter what. "

"Really?"

Then he said doubtfully: "It's just that I heard that Brother Lai and Miss Lin are already engaged!"

"Alas! The palms and backs of my hands are full of flesh. Although Girl Lin is my niece, Girl Qin has no way out now. I thought I could only sacrifice Girl Lin, but I didn't expect it, but I ended up harming Girl Qin!"

She didn't dare to mention the matter, so she simply pretended not to know about it.

Xue Biao was confused after hearing this. How could he marry Lai Shangrong and claim to have harmed Xue Baoqin?

"Why did Madam say this? How could Baoqin harm her by marrying Brother Lai?"

Mrs. Wang sighed: "I originally thought that the rumors outside were really unpleasant. If this marriage happened, wouldn't it be in line with the rumors outside? So I asked the empress to make the decision to grant Girl Qin a marriage.

Unexpectedly, good intentions turned out to be bad. The emperor listened to the empress's idea and heard the news from nowhere that Qin Yatou's merchant family was not worthy of Shang Rong, and asked the empress to send a message and ask Qin Yatou to be Shang Rong's concubine! "

She didn't want things to go wrong, so she just tried her best to suppress the situation, and simply made it clear that this was the emperor's wish.

As for the Yuanchun marriage that was fabricated before, it was just for the sake of appearance.

After all, even if Xue Baoqin goes to be a concubine in the Lai family, she is still a member of the Lai family. She does not want to have another enemy in the Lai family.

"What! Be a concubine?" Xue Biao fell from the sky to the ground.

"How can this be done? My family is also an innocent family. How can I let Baoqin be my concubine?"

"Hum!" Aunt Xue said quickly without waiting for Mrs. Wang to speak: "Then the Xing family is not an innocent family?"

Mrs. Wang sighed: "Oh! I also know that I have wronged Girl Qin by being a concubine, but the emperor said so eloquently that I should not ask the empress for marriage!"

After a pause, he said: "Fortunately, I know Shang Rong's child. Even if she is a concubine, I will not neglect Girl Qin. You see, the Xing family was in a state of poverty before, but now they are in charge of such a large snowflake marshmallow business." !”

Xue Biao felt a little relieved after hearing Mrs. Wang's words. This time, he felt real and felt what it meant to look at someone differently.

But there is still the same problem, how can he make the decision to make his sister his concubine while his mother is still alive.

Mrs. Wang took the emperor's order, and he didn't have the guts to disobey it. For the present plan, he had to delay it first, at least he had to ask his mother and sister what they wanted.

"Mrs. Mingjian, my father has just passed away. I originally planned to take advantage of the hundred days to let Baoqin get married. Now that the hundred days have passed, I am a concubine and have no filial piety. How can I, the Xue family, live like this?"

"This……"

Mrs. Wang hesitated. Even if she was a court official, the emperor still needed to win love, let alone the current situation.

"Then I'll ask your Majesty what she wants and see if I can get a two-year reprieve. You can go down first!"

In ancient times, three years of filial piety was just a general concept. In fact, it was only three years after the death of the mother, and two and a half years for the father.

It has been more than half a year since Father Xue passed away, not even two years actually.

After Xue Biao left, Mrs. Wang looked at Aunt Xue and said, "Brother Biao, this child probably wants to write a letter home to ask his mother. I'm afraid that this child is confused and doesn't know what's important. You can also write a letter to Mr. Shang." Rong's situation and what I just said are clearly stated." Aunt Xue said cautiously: "Is this really the emperor's order?"

She didn't dare to show doubts in front of Xue Biao before, but now in private, she could hardly conceal her shock.

It was a great honor for the emperor to grant a marriage, but to care about a minister taking a concubine, how could she not think too much about it.

"How can this be false? How dare I falsely pass on the imperial edict!" Mrs. Wang said angrily: "I'm not using the emperor's life to pressure her. I told your brothers and sisters to think clearly. After passing this village, there will be no such store.

In our family, the marriage of the daughter's family is not considered for the family. Now that Qin Yatou is in this situation, it is impossible to find a good marriage. Look at Xiuyan, as long as Qin Yatou follows Shang Rong, there will be Will Brother Tao still have to worry about this relationship in the future? "

"Don't worry, sister! How can I not know this?" Aunt Xue sighed: "Isn't it because of this that our family married Jia and Xue?"

"Well! I know you know it well!" Mrs. Wang said happily: "Girl Bao has entered our house, and girl Qin has become Shang Rong's concubine. Your Xue family may not be able to restore its ancestral glory!"

Although there was nothing wrong with Mrs. Wang's words, Aunt Xue felt regretful after hearing them.

Mrs. Wang had come to discuss with her about Xue Baoqin's concubine. She was too busy thinking about her family's benefits, but ignored her true intentions.

In addition, Mrs. Wang's reason for hindering Yuanchun was reasonable and reasonable, and she did not think deeply about it.

At this time, she suddenly realized that she was not considering Yuanchun's reputation, let alone Xue Baoqin, it was purely the emperor's will.

If she couldn't tell who was superior to the Lai family and the Rongguo family before, this time she could clearly see the relationship between them.

I finally understood why Lai Shangrong said that Xue Baoqin could take over the job, but was rejected by his sister.

Xue Baoqin could also be regarded as Yuanchun's god-sister, but she was to be sent to the Lai family as a concubine. This was the emperor's personal proposal, and it was obvious that she was favored by the Holy Family.

As the royal concubine's biological mother, Mrs. Wang didn't even dare to accept the proposal of concurrent marriage, and even used coercion and inducement to try her best to facilitate the matter.

I am afraid of comparison in everything. In terms of family status, it can be said that Xue Baochai can marry into the Rong family, which is a dream, but compared with the Lai family, she pales in comparison.

Especially, considering Lai Shangrong's attitude towards Xing Xiuyan, although Xue Baoqin is a concubine, she may not be inferior to his own Baochai in the future.

From now on, the status of the first and second bedrooms will be reversed.

If nothing else, both the Wang family and the Jia family have precedents.

How can the big house where Wang Xifeng's father lives compare with Wang Ziteng in the second house?

Jia She and Jia Zheng are the same. Will my family be like this in the future?
Thinking of this, I couldn't help but regret it. If I hadn't caused trouble in the first place, Xue Baochai might not have had the chance to marry into the Lai family.

wrong!

She will definitely be able to marry into the Lai family.

I remember how resolutely he refused the proposal to have both a family and a family, but after hearing the rumors outside, he took the initiative to propose a family relationship.

It can be seen that he couldn't bear what happened to Xue Baoqin. From this, it can be speculated that if the rumors between him and Baochai were allowed to ferment, wouldn't it be possible...

It's just a pity that I didn't seize the opportunity at the beginning, otherwise, nothing would have happened to Lin Daiyu.

Thinking of this, a thought suddenly popped out of his mind.

Although Lin Daiyu is in front now, it does not prevent Baochai from behind. It's not that Lai Shangrong is unwilling to do both, he just lacks a reason to do both!
It was because I was blind and failed to seize such a good opportunity. Will I have to miss it now?
Lai Shangrong had only revealed his feelings in front of himself and his sister, so he undoubtedly had the upper hand.

Once the thought came together, it was out of control, and the only concern was my sister's reaction.

However, judging from her behavior regarding Xue Baoqin, she should have no choice but to swallow her anger, right?
Thinking of this, I couldn't help but feel my heart beat, and I couldn't help but look at Mrs. Wang who was sitting beside her.

"What? Is there something stained on my face?" Mrs. Wang asked suspiciously when she saw Aunt Xue staring at her.

"No...it's nothing! It's just that at my age, my sister still has skin as smooth as cream and face as white as jade. She can't find a single wrinkle. Even compared to those girls, she is no less generous. She takes good care of herself. For a moment, It's fascinating to watch." Aunt Xue said with a guilty conscience.

After listening to Aunt Xue's compliment, Mrs. Wang couldn't help but raise her hand and touch her cheek.

Although it is not as shiny as Aunt Xue described it, it can still be said to be smooth and tender.

I secretly rejoice that my daily tedious maintenance is not all in vain. I have finally maintained it properly and the charm is still there.

Just thinking about it like this, I couldn't help but think of Lai Shangrong's repeated extraordinary actions. I could only feel the numbness in my bones and muscles in front of and behind me.

Since Aunt Xue was still there, she had no choice but to hold her heart in front of her like a chest, and pretended to adjust her sitting posture, moving her hips a few times, and finally drove away the irritability in her heart.

She looked at Aunt Xue beside her and said, "At your age, you are not afraid of making people laugh. It's windy in the north, but you stay in the south all year round, and you are a few years younger than me. You look better than me." It’s a lot hydrated!”

When she said this, she was simply trying to cover up her embarrassment, but looking at Aunt Xue, who had rosy white skin and smooth skin next to her, she couldn't help but feel sour.

Somehow, Mrs. Wang suddenly thought that since Lai Shangrong was like a thief and had evil intentions and coveted her, her old master whose husband was still alive, how could he treat the man in front of her, who was three points better than her in every aspect? Another widowed sister, turning a blind eye?
Thinking of this, an idea came to mind.

As the saying goes, be prepared for a rainy day and be prepared for danger in times of peace. What's more, Baoyu has just offended Lai Shangrong and doesn't know how to retaliate.

If you can do what you like, it may not be impossible to eliminate disasters and solve problems.

It's just that, judging others by himself, he is so daring towards himself, and his younger sister has been widowed for many years, so I don't know if the two of them have already...

So he probed: "You have always acted in a very orderly manner. Shang Rong and Wen Long have a close relationship. Why don't you take advantage of this relationship? Although he has a lot of work in the office on weekdays and has no leisure during the day, please come to your home for a meal in the evening. It doesn’t matter if it’s a casual meal, why have I never seen you treat him to it?”

Hearing Mrs. Wang's question, Aunt Xue was stunned.

At first, he avoided the rumors about him and Baochai and took the initiative to avoid suspicion. Later, Xue Pan was ashamed and refused to invite him.

But since Xue Baoqin came to Beijing and Lai Shangrong took the initiative to see him off, those misunderstandings have long been resolved.

In addition, he agreed to take Xue Baoqin as his concubine. Didn't he also save the reason for treating guests?

As long as he often comes into the house at night, it is inevitable that he will interact with Baochai. Even after three or two glasses of water and wine, and at a young and energetic age, he may be able to avoid rumors.

Thinking of this, I felt suddenly enlightened, and hurriedly said: "What my sister said is that last time he made those rumors with Bao girl, I didn't let Wenlong invite him to my house. Now he has a marriage contract with Lin girl, and then There's no need to shy away from this because of the relationship with Girl Qin!"

Mrs. Wang originally thought that she and Lai Shangrong had some kind of connection in private and kept a distance from each other, just to avoid suspicion and conceal it. Unexpectedly, Aunt Xue turned out to be for this reason.

She didn't suspect anything, on the contrary, she felt it was reasonable.

She couldn't help but feel happy that there was no connection between the two, which was undoubtedly a way out for her. When necessary, she didn't mind selling her sister for the benefit of her own family, as long as the benefits were big enough.

(End of this chapter)