Jia Qiang's Ordinary Life

Jia Qiang stayed at the Imperial College with peace of mind. Although the food at the Imperial College was a bit poor and the accommodation conditions were not good, it was much better than living in a group dormitory with seven or eight people in a high school and university in her previous life, and eating in the school's big cafeteria. It is easy to become extravagant, but difficult to go from extravagant to frugal. Jia Qiang persisted.After all, in the Guozijian, a lot of honorable children accompanied him.Almost none of these honorable children are willing to study. They often skip classes, go out to fight cocks and dogs, and hunt on horseback. A few good friends drink and listen to operas together, and they are taking care of the business of several nearby brothel troupes.

Some of them are very close to the Jia family, and Jia Qiang will inevitably have to perfunctory. If he is not as unreasonable as others think, he may be picked by others before he wants to pick flowers.Thinking of those enchanting Yingying and Yanyan who accompanied each time, Jia Qiang almost went crazy. After a few times, Jia Qiang was able to push those invitations, but often went out with the tribute students from other provinces. Drinking tea, talking about scriptures, reciting poems and writing poems, at least there are not so many messy things.

Half a year passed in a flash, and it was the twelfth lunar month. After more than half a month of classes, the Imperial College was always on vacation. A group of students hurriedly packed up their things and prepared to go back. In the Guozijian dormitory, fortunately, there are some charcoal allocations in winter, even if there are not many allocations, it will not freeze.Jia Qiang and Xu Pingchao greeted a few acquainted classmates together, then ordered Shi Mo to take a book, pen and ink, put on a big woolen dress, and walked out of the Imperial College with a cupronickel stove in his hand. Door.

The weather was not very good, the sky was densely covered with dark clouds, and the wind direction also changed. It seemed that it was going to snow.

"Second Master Qiang, this way!" A carriage stopped at the street corner, and the driver shouted loudly.

Jia Qiang turned to look at Xu Pingchao: "Cousin, is your family still here to pick you up? Or, I'll give you a ride!"

"No need, it's already here!" Xu Pingchao saw another carriage coming over, his eyes lit up, and said, "By the way, cousin, let's go out and play together when you have time!"

Jia Qiang said with a smile: "Okay, after the snow falls, let's invite two or three classmates to find a place, warm wine around the stove, and chant to the snow. It's also an elegant thing!"

"Then it's a deal!" Xu Pingchao nodded.

After saying goodbye, the two got into the carriage, turned their horses around, and went back separately.

Who would have thought that this covenant could not be fulfilled years ago. After returning home, it snowed heavily that night for three or four days in a row. It would take a long time to clean up the streets, and by the time the snow was cleared, it was already the busy time of the New Year, and the two of them had no time to go out, so they had to wait until the New Year to see each other again.

Jia Qiang is very busy, and all the account books on the Zhuangzi's shop have to be sent to him for inspection. He is still living in Ningguo Mansion, and most of the income from the Zhuangzi is not needed. Even if you sell it directly, you will gain a lot.

Jia Qiang is also not good at doing these things in Ningguo Mansion. After all, the comings and goings of those in charge of the shopkeepers inevitably attract attention. Fortunately, two months ago, the shopkeepers under him bought a house in Dongcheng. The house was originally the property of a wealthy businessman. The wealthy businessman offended the powerful in the capital, and couldn't get along anymore, so he had to dispose of the property in the capital at a low price, and went home in despair.Although the house is far less luxurious than Ning Rong's second mansion, it is quite exquisite. Jia Qiang used the excuse to go out to discuss knowledge with her classmates, and then sent someone back to say that because of the heavy snow blocking the way, she stayed at her classmates' house for a few days. .Anyway, few people in Ningguo Mansion were really worried. Now that they knew the reason, they went about their own business.

Jia Qiang didn't have any right to speak in Ningguo Mansion, but here, she was the one and only master.Over the years, he has given both kindness and prestige, sending a few managerial shopkeepers who relied on Mrs. Xu to rely on the old to sell the old to the elderly, and promoted a few young people who are willing to work hard.Of course, the most loyal one is Xu An, an old servant left to him by Mrs. Xu. He also married Mrs. Xu to the Jia family and has been helping Mrs. Xu manage her private property. Jia Qiang treats him like a half-grandson, so naturally he is very attentive. Jia Qiang also reciprocates, so she wants to let him adopt a child from a relative, and when he is old, someone will serve him tea and meals.Coincidentally, some time ago, a farmer in Zhuangzi fell and injured himself when he went up the mountain, and he left within a few days. His mother-in-law died a few years ago, leaving only a pair of children, and Xu An adopted those two children. The boy stayed with me, and the girl was older, more handsome, and knew how to sew, so she was sent to this house to be a maid. Every time Jia Qiang came over, the girl would take care of her.

It took several days to check the accounts. Jia Qiang breathed a sigh of relief, and gave extra red envelopes to the shopkeeper who did a good job. After saying some words of encouragement, they asked them to go back to celebrate the New Year.

The snow had stopped for two days, and the streets outside had cleared enough space for carriages, so Jia Qiang planned to return to Ningguo Mansion.

Arriving at Ningguo Mansion, it happened that Jia Zhen and the others were inviting people from the two mansions to enjoy the plum blossoms in the garden. A stage was set up deep in the garden, and a few actors were babbling and singing tunes on the stage. A group of men were all in the garden. Drinking in the house, from time to time wipe some oil on the maid serving next to her.As a woman, after seeing the plum blossoms, she went into the house, drinking and laughing.Several large pots of charcoal fire were lit in the room, and even the elderly lady didn't feel cold, listening to the compliments from the younger daughter-in-law and granddaughter-in-law, Jia Baoyu just got tired of being around the old lady, acting coquettishly and pretending to be good, coaxing the old lady repeatedly The sweetheart screamed indiscriminately.

Jia Qiang felt that she should come back one day late, but since she had already come back, she still had to bite the bullet and go there, so she toasted a few elders, pretended to be overwhelmed and left first, anyway, he was young Well, being able to drink two or three cups has already satisfied those people, so naturally they won't be able to drink him.Jia Zhen looked at him with drunken eyes: "Since Brother Qiang can't drink anymore, then go to the ancestors and the others! From now on, Brother Qiang still needs to exercise his drinking capacity, only two glasses of wine will not work, you Zhen Uncle, when I was your age, I drank ten or twenty cups, and my face didn’t change after drinking it!" Everyone who was similar to him was booing, saying that since you drink so much, you should drink again. Drink two glasses of Yunyun.Jia Qiang quickly slipped away.

After taking a bowl of hangover soup from a little girl and drinking it, Jia Qiang wiped her face with a hot towel, smelling that there was no smell of alcohol on her body, she went to meet a group of female elders, now he is not young, It's almost time to know the personnel, so naturally we must pay attention to avoiding taboos, and we can't just go to the inner courtyard at will.He rewarded the woman guarding the door with a dime and asked her to go in to report, and he waited at the door.

The woman weighed the amount of silver in her hand, it was half a tael, and immediately her face was wrinkled into dozens of smiles, and she hurried in to report.

Jia Qiang was waiting for the woman to come back when she heard a voice: "Oh, little ancestor, don't run away!"

Jia Qiang heard the sound and looked, but saw a three or four-year-old boy running towards this side with two short legs. Behind him, two nuns and a few maids followed nervously. Mammy wanted to pick up the boy, but the boy refused. As a result, his feet slipped, he sat down on the ground, and burst into tears.

Then, a young woman in rather clean clothes hurried out of the room, and said anxiously: "Lan'er, what's wrong? Where did you fall? Show your mother quickly!" Finally coaxing the boy to stop crying, then The young woman looked at the nuns and maids, and turned cold: "I told you to take my brother to sleep, why did I let my brother fall!"

"Grandma, you can't blame us! My brother just went out, so I won't let me hug him. He insisted on getting down and walking by himself, but he walked a little too quickly, and that's why he fell!" the nanny kept saying Crying, but judging by her appearance, she didn't show any respect for that woman.

Jia Qiang understood now that the little boy was Jia Zhu's posthumous son, Jia Lan. Mrs. Wang angered Li Wan because of Jia Zhu's death, and she didn't like Jia Lan either. He didn't care too much, when the people below saw their orphans and widows, they didn't take their orphans and widows seriously, even the nanny who served Jia Lan remained respectful on the surface, but also contemptuous in his heart.Although Li Wan is not cowardly, he is not a person who dares to make troubles, so he can only swallow his grievances.

When Jia Qiang saw her, she felt a sense of sympathy, and immediately called out: "Nephew has met Aunt Zhu, how has Auntie been?"

Seeing Jia Qiang, Li Wan squeezed out a smile and said, "It's Brother Qiang! I made you laugh just now!"

There was a cold smile on Jia Qiang's face: "If you are a slave, you just hit it out. My aunt is too soft, so I let these slaves push their noses!" Mrs. Huan shrank a little, and he changed the subject again: "This is brother Lan'er!"

Li Wan's heart moved when he heard that, he just refused to talk too much to provoke others, and others thought he could be bullied. After all, although the Li family is not a wealthy family, they are not so easy to bully. Er was also being bullied, thinking in her heart, but her face remained calm, she nodded and said: "It's Lan Er, Lan Er, this is your Second Brother Qiang!"

Jia Lan blinked and shouted childishly, "Second brother is good!"

Jia Qiang smiled and said, "Brother Lan'er, hello! This is for you to play with!" Then she took off a suet jade pendant from her waist and stuffed it in Jia Lan's hand. Li Wan was surprised. The quality of the jade is also very good, probably there is not one that cannot be bought for 50 taels. She knows that Jia Qiang is a bit embarrassed in Ningguo Mansion, and guesses that apart from the monthly money, she usually has no other extra money. Said: "It's just a joke, Auntie doesn't need to refuse!" Normally at this time, Jia Lan would also take a nap, but just after being blown by the wind, he regained his energy. Now being hugged by Li Wan, he felt a little sleepy again. He yawned loudly, and his eyelids drooped a little.

Jia Qiang chuckled, "Lan'er is sleepy, my nephew has to go to greet the old lady and the others, auntie, please go ahead!"

"Okay, brother Qiang, go on your own!" Li Wan nodded, thinking of Jia Qiang who had become a scholar at a young age, and thinking of her husband who died young, she made a calculation in her heart and sighed secretly, she turned her head coldly Glancing coldly at those maids, she said in a cold voice: "Sure enough, I'm usually too generous to make you ignore your master! If I don't teach you a lesson today, you still treat us as wives." The dough is kneaded, so I don’t have a temper!”

Several maids hurriedly begged for mercy, and Li Wan snorted: "Forget it, you are also the sons of the mansion, and you have been serving Brother Lan for some time, so I will spare you this time, and only detain you one by one." Monthly money! If you are so careless in the future, I will report to my wife and kick you out, don't blame me for disregarding your usual decency!"

A few people broke out in a cold sweat in this cold weather. Hearing what Li Wan said, they didn't dare anymore. Now, no one dared to take Grandma Zhu as something easy to handle. Anyway, Li Wan She is a widow who is young and chaste, even the old lady can't shame her for no reason, and Jia Lan is the eldest grandson of the Rongguo Mansion, what will happen in the future is really uncertain!