Battle of the Red Mansions

Hurrying back to Rongguo Mansion, looking at the whiteness inside and outside the door, Jia Min couldn't control the tears again, Yangzhou is too far away from the capital, married for so many years, I didn't expect to come back again Father's funeral.

The Rongguo Mansion had received the news a long time ago, when they saw the carriage outside, they rushed out to welcome dozens of people.

Looking at this scene, Jia Min didn't care about the scene anymore. Since the mansion already knew that he was coming today, everything should be arranged inside. After packing up and letting the carriage enter the mansion, Jia Min went directly to the mourning hall without saying a word.

It has been nearly a month since he came back from Yangzhou, and the coffin of the Grand Duke has been sent back to his hometown in Jinling. If he went directly to Jinling, Jia Min might still see him, but in the capital, there is only one memorial tablet left.

There were quite a few people guarding the mourning hall, and when they saw Jia Min coming, they all got up and came over. The Duke was the most favored during his lifetime, and now that the Duke is gone, I don't know how to feel sad.

After wiping away a few tears, Mrs. Xing stepped forward to help Jia Min up, and asked someone to stand guard here, and then took her to the Rongqing Hall to have a look? She didn't expect her sister-in-law to go to the mourning hall as soon as she came back, so she didn't think about what to do. How to receive, in a hurry, you can only follow it.

Anyway, with her current status in the mansion, it couldn't be worse.

The old lady is resting in the Rongqing hall at the moment, and my sister-in-law can't cry in the mourning hall all the time, so that the Duke of the country will be sad when he sees it in the spirit of heaven, and the old lady has been waiting in the Rongqing hall for a while.

With a low sigh, Mrs. Xing supported Jia Min, and it didn't feel good to see her sad like this, but she was not born to be eloquent, so she couldn't say any words of comfort.

Mrs. Xing is the stepmother, and her sister-in-law will marry soon after she gets married. The two of them are not very familiar with each other, so it is difficult for her to say anything, let alone show any intimacy.

Jia Min didn't have a deep impression of this sister-in-law, and she wasn't in the mood to do anything to get in touch with her at this time. The two of them were silent all the way, and they went to Rongqingtang with the head wives.

Mother Jia sat on the top seat, holding the Buddhist beads in her hands. It was rare to not see a group of children around her, but only Yuanyang and Mrs. Wang. ? Went out again to have a look, and saw that someone was already running towards this side, the mandarin duck put down the curtain and walked in and whispered, "Don't worry, old lady, the eldest girl has already disembarked, can you be far away from home?

After hearing Yuanyang's words, the beads in Mother Jia's hand spun faster, "Min'er hasn't been back for several years, and she married far away in the south of the Yangtze River, so I don't know if she's doing well."

How can the land in the south of the Yangtze River be compared to the capital city? She was not very happy when the Duke of the State wanted to marry Min'er. The Lin family has almost fallen into decline. No matter how capable you are.

It's not that there are young talents with good family backgrounds in the capital. Careful selection can pick out a good son-in-law for Min'er. Why do you have to let her go to a place so far away that she hasn't seen once in a few years?

Thinking of this in her heart, Mother Jia's attitude towards the Lin family is not very good, especially when she heard that Jia Min came back alone this time, and Lin Ruhai and her two grandsons were still in Yangzhou, she couldn't even cover up her dissatisfaction. It's undisguised.

Mrs. Wang watched from the side, her benevolent expression didn't change at all, she didn't seem to hear what the old lady was saying at all? Yuanyang was still at the side persuading, the eldest girl now has both children, and there is no messy person in Lin's house. It couldn't be more comfortable there, why should the old lady worry about it.

After persuading her for a while, just when Mother Jia couldn't wait to find her, Yuanyang finally heard the news that Mrs. Xing and the eldest girl had come from outside.

Hearing that the servants hadn't changed their address, Jia Min frowned, thinking it was because they were too excited, so she didn't pay much attention, and quickly put the matter behind her.

But when he got inside, Jia Min finally noticed something was wrong when he was pulled by his mother for a while and felt distressed.

She had a good life in Yangzhou, what gave the mother the feeling that she was suffering outside?

He raised his eyes and glanced at the people next to him. The mandarin duck stood there with lowered eyebrows and eyes. The two sister-in-laws didn't say anything, but they didn't feel surprised by what their mother said. It seems that these words are often said at home?

She has been married for so many years, and she often sends letters to her family on weekdays, and she never misses the etiquette during New Years and festivals. It stands to reason that my mother has no reason to think that she has a bad life in Yangzhou.

Gently pushing away the distressed mother Jia who was hugging her, Jia Min shook her head, "Mother, my daughter is doing very well in Yangzhou, brother Yu and sister Dai have grown up gradually, and when the opportunity arises, my daughter will take care of her. They came to the capital to see you.

"Alright, next time bring the two children over and stay at home for a few months before leaving." Mother Jia wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, answered without much thought, and then began to tell her about the things that Grandpa Guo had done during his lifetime. several years.

Startled by what Jia's mother said, Jia Min lowered his head and did not speak again. Even if it is his own grandson, there is no reason to stay in his mother's house for a long time, unless his own family is in trouble and cannot protect them.

The mother's words are all bad about the Lin family, but no matter how bad the Lin family is, they can't even protect their own children!? I want to say something more, but when I heard Jia's mother talk about Grandpa Guo What happened before his death, Jia Min's mood fell down again, and then he didn't have the heart to think about it.

When she has time, she still wants to have a good talk with her mother, not only not involving the previous dynasty, but also about her own affairs.

But today I don't have time, and I know that Jia Min has traveled a long distance, and cried for a while in front of the Duke's memorial tablet. Jia's mother didn't stay for too long, and after talking for a while, she let her go to rest.

The room was arranged in Rongqing Hall, which was in the small courtyard not far from the main hall. The courtyard before Jia Min’s marriage had been allocated to other sisters. Cleaned up a yard.

Jia Min only brought a few maidservants with her, and the wives were the ones who followed her as dowry from Jia's mansion. Needless to say, can those people settle down by themselves?

The maids tidied up the room again, and then retreated separately. After so many days of boating, they didn't have much energy to go out for a stroll.

It was getting late, the masters in the mansion all went back to their own yards, and the servants gathered together in twos and threes.

After leaving for a few years and returning to the capital, the women did not go to rest with the maids, but each talked to the servants they knew before.

It's not easy for them to come back from Yangzhou, and they don't know when they will come back next time.

When Grandpa Guo was there, he didn’t care much about the affairs of the backyard. When Grandpa Guo went, his former subordinates came to worship and went back to the barracks to wait for their arrangements. , Now seeing the old sisters who have been away with the eldest girl for a few years come back, naturally I can't help but want to say something.

?Under the eaves, the lanterns hung on the wall to bring dim light. Obviously, it is no longer suitable for needlework. Mrs. Wang next to the old lady put down the needlework in her hand, then rolled her eyes and asked, "Old sister, big girl How are you doing in Jiangnan?"

This question was inappropriate, and several other people gathered together and talked non-stop, as if Jiangnan was some kind of place where people couldn't live, and they couldn't hide the meaning of avoiding it.

I heard that there are some poor people there, and the common people have to rely on the government's relief to survive. I don't know what the Duke of the country thought back then, to let the eldest girl marry into such a poor place.

Unaware that Rongguo Mansion's native Jinling is also in the south of the Yangtze River, Mrs. Wang's dislike was palpable, and she almost said that the Lin Mansion was not good enough for their eldest daughter in Rongguo Mansion.

The women who were still thinking about reminiscing about the old days looked at each other, and then said a few words with a forced smile, and then got up to leave.

The Lin Mansion is not good? I don't know where these people heard the rumors, but it has already spread in the mansion. I don't know if the old ladies know it. If they know, they have to drive out all these slanderers ?

Unlike Rongguo Mansion's monstrous wealth, Lin's Mansion has been scholars for generations, and the family is full of bookishness. Over the years, only the second master who is not at home often has joined the army.

Their master is now being used by the emperor, and his wife is also very affectionate, and his brothers and sisters are also very good, how did they become the sufferers in these people's mouths?

The rules of the Lin Mansion are different from those of the Rongguo Mansion. Although girls and women are not detained, they are not allowed to talk about outside affairs at will. After all, it is a family of officials, so it would be bad if someone overheard them.

After following Jia Min in the Lin Mansion for so many years, he had already recorded all kinds of rules in his heart, and suddenly he heard the women talking about the affairs of nobles outside and even the owners of their own houses without any scruples. Time actually felt a little scared.

?Early the next morning, when Jia Min finished his breakfast and packed up to go to Rongqing Hall, the women finally stepped forward and euphemistically told what they heard last night.

Sitting there in silence for a long time, Jia Min rubbed his forehead to signal that he knew.

She thought these things were just her mother's casual complaints. After all, she married far away, and her mother should worry about her poor life, but she didn't expect that this family could arrange her like this after she got married.

Where are the rules of the Duke's Mansion? She has only been married for a few years, and the mansion can't even control the mouth of the servants?

No wonder the second sister-in-law is known all over the city because of a child. There are such servants in the family. In order to please the master, what can't they do?

Is it the woman who was taken to the military camp by the Duke of the country? Jia Min had been in charge of the affairs of the Rongguo Mansion for several years before she got married. After a few years, her methods are no longer the young girl she was back then.

? What kind of life did she live in Yangzhou? Does she need these servants to talk about it?

After a sneer, Jia Min tidied up his clothes, and then led the people towards the main hall of Rongqing Hall.

Even if she is now a married woman and has no right to speak in this family, it is always possible to sue after being arranged by the subordinates.

Mother will never turn to those wretched women!