Uncle Lai in the Red Chamber

Chapter 62 Gossip has secrets

Lai Shangrong did not pay too much attention to the affairs of the Rong Mansion regarding the marriage promotion and the construction of the Grand View Garden.

First of all, he was busy with work. In addition to the yamen to worry about, he also had to guide Qin Zhong in his studies when he came back.

Secondly, the original Grand View Garden still has to rely on everyone from the Jia family.

But even though he wasn't paying attention, he was well aware of the progress.

Grandmother Lai was so convinced of the lies he made up that she really thought he had been recommended by Jia Zheng, so much so that she went to Jia Mu's side to join in the fun, and the news continued to spread.

"That garden is three times as big as our back garden! In order to show its magnificence, Ningfu Huifang Garden is also framed in it."

During dinner, Grandma Lai began to promote Rongfu again.

Second Sister You enviously asked: "Then...how much money will it cost?"

"Based on our family's expenses, it would cost a million taels, but the materials used in the house are naturally not comparable to ours. I guess it's about 200 million taels!"

Lai Shangrong couldn't see his grandma stepping down on his house in front of Second Sister You, so he quickly sneered: "It's really a swollen face to pretend to be fat, this garden is built, I'm afraid life in the mansion over there will be difficult in the future."

Xu said with a smile: "Your father and I have been in the mansion for so many years, what's the situation there is still unclear? How can the garden be built with the West Mansion alone!"

Third Sister You asked doubtfully: "Isn't the eldest lady of the Xi Mansion the one you are confering? Are they so close to each other? My sister not only allocated land but also provided money?"

Mrs. Xu glanced at Third Sister You: "How can that be! How can your eldest brother-in-law look like our Shang Rong? He is willing to suffer? It would be good not to get money from there, and there will be no money!"

After hearing what his mother said, Lai Shangrong thought of seeing the Red Mansion in his previous life, and there was a saying that the Grand View Garden was built with the Lin family's money.

"Could it be Miss Lin's money?"

Mrs. Xu didn't answer but asked: "How did you become Lin Zhixiao's accountant over there?"

Lai Shangrong didn't understand why his mother mentioned Lin Zhixiao, so he hurriedly asked, "Why?"

"In the early years, the eldest daughter and Uncle Lin got married, and Lin Zhixiao's family used to be the companions. A few years ago, the eldest daughter left, and Miss Lin was picked up by the old lady. Then Uncle Lin sent Lin Zhixiao back. Over the years, one after another Continuing, there are some unexplained incomes in the account, can you guess what they are?"

This explained one of Lai Shangrong's doubts. When he saw the Red Mansion, he was surprised that even though Lin Zhixiao and his wife were deaf and dumb, the servants in the Jia Mansion should not even know their daughter Lin Hongyu, so why were they ostracized everywhere in Yihong Courtyard? .

But it would make sense if Lin Hongyu had not been in Jia's house since she was a child, but came in later with Lin Zhixiao and his wife.

Seeing Lai Shangrong's silence, Mrs. Xu continued: "Three years ago, the prefect of the Qing Dynasty paid back one hundred thousand snowflakes of silver! What's more, it's such a lucrative job as the Salt Patrol Censor! No matter how clean Mr. Lin is, he still has some unexplained income. I After a rough calculation with your father, I'm afraid Uncle Lin has been coming in one after another over the years, at least a million taels."

After all, my mother, Mrs. Xu, had been staying there for a long time, and Uncle Lin couldn't change his mind for a while.

Lai Shangrong didn't bother to correct him, and asked doubtfully: "Then Lin Ruhai is willing to spend the money he earns on them?"

"That's not entirely true! This time Miss Lin came here and brought hundreds of boxes of family property. Why did you think you could bring her here?"

Seeing Lai Shangrong shaking his head, Xu added, "Of course it's the dowry! Although Mrs. Lin's family is small, it's just them. The Lin family is also a family of Zhongding. How could they be allowed to bring it here without justifiable reasons. Most of what I brought this time was just the eldest lady’s dowry.”

This awakened Lai Shangrong. This era is different from the previous life. If the family has no heirs to inherit the family business, it will be wiped out by the clan.

Daughters do not have the right to inherit. Lin Ruhai did not want to be wiped out by the Lin clan, so the only way was to prepare a generous dowry for Daiyu.

"Then Miss Lin is engaged?"

"Although she didn't say it clearly, the old lady must have discussed it privately with Uncle Lin."

"You mean Baoyu and Miss Lin?"

Mrs. Xu nodded, and Sister You asked doubtfully: "Isn't this dowry always the private property of the daughter's family, and the husband's family has no right to use it?" Many people have misunderstandings about the marriage of men and women in ancient times. In fact, the status of the head wife in ancient my country was very high.

For example, the so-called "not going to court" actually means not going to court. Even if a man marries a wife when he is poor and humble and wants to divorce his wife and remarry, the wife can still sue her in court as long as she is a poor and lowly wife. Call back directly.

The man has no right to dispose of the dowry. Only the wife has the right to dispose of the dowry. Even if she dies, this disposal right will only be left to her biological children. Even if only the daughter and other non-biological sons have no inheritance rights.

That's why Third Sister You asked this question.

Aunt Lai smiled and said: "What do you kids know? Those are the practices of small families. Marriage between big families like these is different from other families. Back then, before the second master and second wife got married, the Wang family We invested money to renovate the old Rongguo Mansion, otherwise why would the eldest master move to Dongkuoyuan and let the second master live in the main house?"

"Are you saying that Miss Lin is imitating Mrs. Wang back then?"

"What Mrs. Wang? It's called the second wife!"

Nanny Lai scolded Lai Shangrong angrily.

Then he said: "That's natural. When they get married, this garden will be their dowry!"

Old God Lai said: "Actually, the marriage of this big family is like two families buying shares in a new business. It is somewhat similar to your joint-stock system, but who can dominate this new business depends on their respective methods. "

This statement is quite novel, describing the house fight as a game between shareholders in later generations.

No wonder everyone in the Jia family moved out of the Grand View Garden before Baoyu got married, but Daiyu lived in the garden until her death.

It's no wonder that when Baoyu was beaten and Xiren suggested to Mrs. Wang that Baoyu move out of the garden, Mrs. Wang immediately looked at her differently.

It's just that Lai Shangrong couldn't figure it out. The dowry was all used by Jia's family to build a garden, but he later married Baochai for Baoyu?

"Hmph! Why does the Duke of this country have to spend a dowry to marry a daughter-in-law!"

I heard Third Sister You curl her lips and say disdainfully.

Second Sister You also echoed and nodded in agreement.

…………

Fengzao Palace.

"I've just become a concubine and I'm going to pay a visit to the bride!"

Queen Tian was standing behind Emperor Zhenglong, carefully squeezing his shoulders.

"It's all because of the lax discipline of the concubine. I didn't expect that the virtuous concubine would also want to be married!"

Emperor Zhenglong took a breath and said, "How can she take care of the fact that she wants to marry the queen? Besides, she said it at the time, and let each family understand it by themselves. I'm just angry that Jia Zhengtai didn't look at me, and he stood up to me in the court last time. , this time I am hurriedly preparing for the wedding ceremony."

"Let me tell you, Your Majesty, there is no need to be angry. With so many concubines in the harem, aren't there three families including Concubine Cai Xian and Concubine Zhou, and Concubine Wu? They say people's hearts are unpredictable, and it would be a good thing if we can take this opportunity to tell them apart."

The emperor said angrily: "It seems that I have to find a reason to send him far away, out of sight and out of mind!"

"But as soon as the virtuous concubine arranged for her wedding ceremony, Your Majesty, you transferred her father to a distant place. Wouldn't it attract criticism?"

Emperor Zhenglong pondered for a moment and said: "Then I will be transferred out for a year before coming back to visit relatives, and I will be clean for a year first."

Immediately, Xia Shouzhong was summoned and ordered: "Pass my oral instructions to Chen Yiwen and ask him to ask the Department of Literature and Selection to make a statement and transfer Jia Zheng to Jiangxi to temporarily study politics for one year. His position as a foreign minister of the Ministry of Industry will be replaced by Mei Gong."

(End of this chapter)