Bondage

"Mother?"

After eating, Lin Jiayue went to Jiangmu's Jiangxiang Courtyard.She pushed open the door of Mother Jiang's bedroom and walked in lightly.

Mother Jiang was sitting in the gauze with her back facing her, mumbling something in her mouth.Lin Jiayue stepped forward and opened the gauze curtain, but was stunned by the scene in front of her.

Overnight, the few gray hairs on Mother Jiang's head were also dyed white, and there was no black color on her head.

Lin Jiayue's throat choked up, and what she wanted to say was stuck on the tip of her tongue.

After a long time, she said softly: "The skylark said that you haven't eaten rice in a day, so what should you do if you collapse like this?"

"Where can I still eat? My Yi'er is gone, and Man'er is gone. I can't even bring their bones back to Shangjing for burial."

"How do you let me eat?"

Lin Jiayue pursed her lips, not knowing how to comfort Mother Jiang.

"Go out, I don't want to see anyone."

Jiang's mother covered her face and wept bitterly, as if she had lost all will to live.

"I know my mother is sad, but you still have to take care of your body. No matter what, you have to see your grandson born and raise him up."

After speaking, Lin Jiayue walked out.

Qingwei had already gathered in the main hall with the woman in charge of the mansion, and when Lin Jiayue came out, everyone's eyes were full of sadness.But there are also those who are not right-minded, with a pair of eyes darting around, thinking about something.

Standing in front of everyone, Lin Jiayue lowered her eyes and sighed.

When she first entered the Hou's mansion, she really looked down upon Song Wan's way of carefully holding those slaves, but now she can actually understand Song Wan's painstaking efforts back then.

This huge Hou Mansion cannot be supported by ordinary people, and neither can she.

After suffering a lot, she realized that she was insignificant, and she also felt a little awe of this era.

"My Lady and Lord Hou..."

As soon as these words came out, many servants in the Hou's mansion began to choke up, covering their faces, crying bitterly, all of them looked very loyal.

"Some time ago, the court was in trouble, and the mansion gave out a lot of money. Everyone knows that, and now that Lord Hou is in trouble at Suhe, this Hou's mansion is going to be in trouble."

Now Jiang Ang is the only man left in the Hou Mansion. In this era, there is only one way for a family without a man to support it, and Lin Jiayue doesn't want to wait until then.

There are many servants in the Hou's mansion, and these people have different thoughts. Maybe they haven't developed any wrong intentions at the moment, but after a long time, they see that the mansion is full of women and children, and they don't know if they will kill the master.

She didn't want to take risks, and she didn't want to be on guard against these people all day.

"I'm looking for everyone here today because I have something to tell you."

"The family can no longer afford your monthly bills, so I want to ask everyone if they can accompany the Hou family to tide over the difficulties."

Jiang Fu's daughter-in-law of Qi Shun's family and Zhou Liang's second wife all wiped their tears and said, "Don't say it's just that the monthly regulations can't be issued right now, it's just that the old slaves should go out and help earn money for the Hou's mansion in the future."

"We have been born and raised in the Hou's Mansion for generations, how can we make trouble at such a critical moment?"

"It's enough to have your words, and the spirit of Master Hou in the sky will be very relieved."

In the past, they might not have been willing to talk to Lin Jiayue in such a pleasant manner, but who made her have a golden lump in her belly?If she conceived a boy this time, this Hou Mansion would be the world of her mother and her son, who would feel uncomfortable at this time.

Therefore, although everyone has criticisms against her, they dare not express it.

Lin Jiayue didn't care about these things, but said in a low voice: "That being said, the more loyal I am, the more I can't chill everyone's hearts."

"To put it bluntly, I'm not afraid of everyone's jokes. The Hou's Mansion has long been unable to afford such a large expense. When you go back today, tell the subordinates that if there are people who want to go out of the mansion to get married when they reach the age, or if they are old and want to marry Those who go home to be honored can come to find me, and I will show kindness on behalf of the old lady and return the body deed."

After Lin Jiayue finished speaking, she screened everyone away, leaving only Jiang Fu's daughter-in-law.

"I'm staying with you today because I want you to help me take a trip to Pingcui Temple and Haitang Garden."

The Hou Mansion has raised a bunch of nuns and actors, she has been disgusted with it for a long time, but she has never had the opportunity to send them out of the mansion, now she can make the decision, but she can no longer support these people.

"You can truthfully tell them the situation in the Hou Mansion. If you want to stay, you can, but you can't be a lady anymore, so you can only go to the garden to pick up some rough work. If you agree, you can keep them. If you don't agree, Each of you pays two liang of silver for travel expenses, and it will be fine after you send it away."

Jiang Fu's family nodded silently, but they knew in their hearts that the Chengyanghou Mansion had been prosperous for a hundred years, and it really couldn't sustain it.

Jiang Fu's daughter-in-law and Mrs. Liang and others conveyed Lin Jiayue's meaning. Those servant girls and even the elderly women did not take it seriously. After the meal silver was replenished, everyone knew that what Lin Jiayue said was not a lie.

At this time, someone in the party came to find her one after another and took the deeds, consciously wanting to leave the house.

Later, when everyone saw that Lin Jiayue had sealed up all the uninhabited houses, even the Fuhetang of the late old lady and the Yulingzhai of the second master were not spared. Indeed, it has reached the point where they can't even maintain their airs, and they all invite themselves to leave.

"Aunt Lin, yesterday there was a boy in a stall. He put two fellow countrymen who were on duty in the mansion's stable into the stall at night. They stole some of the Four Treasures of the Study, and now they are tied up and thrown in the outer courtyard. Look at this How to deal with it?"

"Either send him to an official, or kill him on the spot, let the two of them choose."

Lin Jiayue pinched the handkerchief with a serious expression on her face.

She knew that something like this would happen in the Hou Mansion one day, and she was waiting to make an example of it.

"This……"

Jiang Fu's daughter-in-law showed hesitation.

Whether it is sent to official or beaten to death, it is not the style of an official's family. She wanted to mention Lin Jiayue, but was stopped by the other party.

"I know what you're going to say, so don't speak."

"If I don't use thunderous tricks right now, those unreasonable slaves will climb up to the head of the master in the mansion in the future. The Hou Mansion is different from before, so don't be soft-hearted."

Jiang Fu's family was overwhelmed by the majesty in her eyes, and it was the first time that they could see some matriarchal demeanor in the other party's eyes.

She nodded and hurriedly dealt with the matter.

Although there were occasional disturbances in Chengyang Hou's Mansion, it was relatively safe under Lin Jiayue's personal operation of the well mortar and the combination of grace and power.

A few months passed, Jiang's mother still locked herself in her room all day long, and Aunt Zheng kept Jiang Ang from going in front of Lin Jiayue every day.Lin Jiayue knew what was going on in her mind, but now she was slack in caring about it, because she was in the month of the month and was going to give birth soon.

Before giving birth, she entered the palace to meet Song Wan.

Now Song Wan's body is about the same, and his complexion has returned to his usual ruddy appearance, but he is more silent than before.

When Lin Jiayue saw her, she frowned and asked, "Look at your complexion, but what happened to the border war?"

"During this period of time, I have been busy with trivial matters at the residence, but I have never paid attention to the war. Tell me what you have."

She picked up a piece of pastry and put it in her mouth, muttering softly: "We have been fighting with King Ning for three or four months now, why haven't we made a charter yet?"