At the end of this year.

Because Jia Yuanchun newly granted the title of virtuous concubine, the annual tribute gifts from various places were actually more than in previous years, far north, surpassing the Wang family who had been in power in the southeast for a long time.

The wealthy slaves in the Rongguo Mansion looked proud with their chests and bellies raised, and the masters in the mansion were also beaming with joy.

In this scene that looked like it was being cooked by burning oil, Mrs. Wang was the only one who was secretly worried.

After the Chinese New Year, she carefully checked her accounts. In just over two months, the second house spent more than 100,000 taels of silver!

Although there is a windfall brought back from the south to keep an eye on, spending it abroad like this is not a long-term solution after all.

So on the ninth day of the first lunar month, she took advantage of Jia Zheng's good mood and made a few insidious remarks, wondering if she could slightly reduce some expenses.

When Jia Zheng heard this, he immediately became angry and even scolded her for being a woman who only knew how to calculate economic accounts but not political accounts. Now that the whole family is put into one place, it is not as noble as the imperial concubine who is accompanying you.

, only by keeping her dignity can she have the dignity of Rongguo Mansion.

As for the expense being too much.

Isn’t there a tire business in the government?

As long as you grit your teeth and get through this hurdle, you can always rely on new income to recover.

At this point, he remembered Jiao Shun's previous advice, so he said: "I will be leaving Beijing on business on the 21st of this month. There is nothing else, but the traitor is too naughty, and I really can't worry about it.

——And the ethnic studies have been really bad lately, so I plan to take advantage of these few days to clear things up and send Baoyu and Langeer to the academy."

"this……"

When Mrs. Wang heard this, she immediately stopped thinking about spending money and said hesitantly: "I heard that the academy has long-term boarding, but I am willing to do so. I'm afraid that the old lady won't be able to see him thinking about it day and night.

If it’s because of this…”

"Hmph~"

Seeing that she was indeed making trouble with the old lady, Jia Zheng couldn't help but snorted and said: "If you really can't bear to let him go, then I will entrust him to Brother Shun to take care of him! When the time comes, let him

Follow Brother Shun to the Yamen to practice."

Mrs. Wang still frowned: "What can he do in the Yamen at such a young age?"

Jia Zheng's old face sank: "I won't do this, and I won't do that. Do you want to support him? I only have these two options now, and I have to choose one no matter what!"

After a pause, he added: "Jia Yun is also helping Brother Shun in the third room. With him watching over you, nothing will happen to your son - I don't expect him to learn anything.

As long as he can gain more knowledge and change his unsociable temperament, that would be great!"

After hearing Jia Zheng talk about this, Mrs. Wang did not dare to say anything else.

So the latter was chosen as the lesser of two evils.

As for how Jialan arranged it, she habitually ignored it.

After the couple reached an agreement, Jia Zheng mentioned the matter to Jia's mother the next day, and called Li Wan, Jia Lan's mother and son to ask their opinions.

Li Wan is absolutely willing!

When I got home, I hurriedly packed my son's luggage and took Jia Lan'er to give him repeated instructions.

Just as he was talking, Suyun reported from outside that Mr. You was visiting.

Li Wan frowned first.

However, in these days, Na Youshi would pull her in from time to time and make some shameless gossip, which made Li Wan avoid her recently.

Unexpectedly, this person came to the door without mercy.

Cuofei didn't have a suitable excuse, Li Wan really didn't want to see her.

At this time, Youshi had already entered the inner room with a smile on her face. Seeing that the bed and table were piled with large and small bundles, she couldn't help but cover her mouth and said: "Brother, are you really going to study outside? Tsk, you are in this room.

It was already deserted, but if I leave now, I'm afraid it will become even less popular."

Hearing that there was something wrong in her words, Li Wan hurriedly sent Jia Lan and Su Yun away, and said with a straight face: "My sister-in-law came to see me, I am very grateful, but if you talk about those nonsense again, I will be annoyed!"

Hearing this, Youshi chuckled, covered her mouth and said with a smile on her face: "What did I say, that my sister is so anxious? But it's not that you have something in your heart, why don't you get rid of it?"

"you!"

Li Wan's face turned red. Although she was very tired of Youshi's words, she had been living for a long time, so she was not immune to the influence after repeated remarks.

The day before yesterday, I dreamed that I was having fun with Jia Zhu. Unexpectedly, that delicate face suddenly transformed into Jiao Shun's rough features.

Unfortunately, she hadn't woken up yet, so she half-pushed and gave up...

At this time, Youshi said it casually, and thinking of the scene in the dream, he lost his momentum unconsciously.

Youshi took the opportunity to bully her and sat down side by side with her, rubbing her buttocks. She restlessly stretched her mature body and said with a smile: "This is a Chinese New Year, but our house is still busy with Rong."

"Brother, I'm very tired inside and out when I play again. Fortunately, yesterday I asked him to help me press and unblock the strings. I've actually reduced my fatigue by seven points."

Li Wan heard that she really wanted to say this.

Huo Ran stood up and said: "Sister-in-law, if you keep doing this, I will have to see you off!"

Seeing her firmness, Youshi had no choice but to swear that she would not say a word about "meat" today, but she would never mention what would happen in the future.

While chatting about some family issues, he looked at the packages and secretly made a calculation: Li Wan usually focused all his attention on his son, so Youshi had someone to rely on, but now Jia Lan has to go out to board and study, and he won't see each other for ten and a half days.

Wouldn’t your heart feel empty?

There will be an opportunity to take advantage of it.

If he works hard sooner or later, he will be able to pry open her heart, allowing Jiao Shun to take the opportunity to 'invest' in, and completely relieve his worries.

Not to mention how her sisters-in-law gossiped.

However, Rongguo Mansion was extremely busy, and Jiao Shun had a lot of leisure these days. Apart from going out for banquets from time to time, he was always having fun with the maids.

That afternoon, while he was holding Yu Chuan'er and feeding each other fruits and vegetables mouth to mouth, a report suddenly came from outside saying that Jia She had sent someone to invite him.

What kind of "Canton Fair" has Jia She been obsessed with recently? He stayed out for eight out of ten days and was intoxicated when he came back. How could he have time to pay attention to other people?

Therefore, Jiao Shun immediately guessed that this must be Mrs. Xing's false transmission of the imperial edict.

Remembering what happened outside the city last time, he hurriedly asked Xiang Ling to fetch the things he had prepared long ago and carefully hid them in his sleeves. Then Shi Shiran came outside.

But the person who came to deliver the message was not the usual Qiu Tong, but an unknown maid.

"Where's Miss Qiutong?"

Jiao Shun asked casually: "She was the one who delivered the message in the past. Why has she changed the person now?"

The little maid was so busy that she said, "Sister Qiutong went out with the master for a few days, and fell ill due to hard work, so I changed my servant to deliver the message."

Jiao Shunben just asked casually, without delving into anything, and followed the little maid to Jia She's east courtyard.

When they entered the main hall, they saw Mrs. Xing, who had a charming face but pretended to be steady, sitting in the middle. Next to her was her dowry confidant Wang Shanbao. Other than that, there was no one else around.

Jiao Shun pinched the contents of the show bag and was quite disappointed, but he still smiled and came forward to salute: "Jiao Shun has seen the madam, but he didn't know that the madam is summoned today, but what else do you have to send?"

Since she had received real benefits, Mrs.

As soon as Jiao Shun's buttocks touched the chair, she couldn't wait to say: "I heard that the gifts given by the palace a year ago are the same for you, Baoyu, and Brother Lian? This shows how much the empress values ​​you.

, with such a big reason, it will be convenient for me to help matchmaking in the future - it’s just..."

At this point, she changed the topic, shook her head and said with a wry smile: "I have been spending a lot of money recently. Yesterday, because I couldn't get the money, I lost my temper so much that I didn't even dare to say more.

explain."

This greedy woman!

Although Qin Xian had just taken office, she had made at least three to four thousand taels of money. However, she still refused to be satisfied with this business, which was costless and profitable, and she shamelessly made it clear that she was asking for benefits.

Jiao Shun cursed secretly in his heart, but he followed her words and said: "Isn't it? It's really difficult this year, not to mention the old man. My family is also in a tight situation, and I'm too embarrassed to find someone to borrow money from, so I can only grit my teeth.

Hold on tight."

The Xing family originally wanted him to help install a few more cronies to make money in that other courtyard, but Jiao Shun actually started crying and became poor.

She blurted out subconsciously and asked: "Now that the second master is obeying your words and letting some of it out from between his fingers, isn't that enough for you?"

"Madam is joking."

Jiao Shun said sternly: "The more trustworthy Mr. Zheng is, the more I have to avoid suspicion - now the helpers in other courtyards are either nephews or cousins. How can I, an outsider, compare with me? If there is really any greed,

I’m afraid we’re not far from disaster!”

Mrs.

Aren't you afraid that the second bedroom will be too busy, so you want to help?!"

"That's what my wife taught me."

Jiao Shun stood up, cupped his hands, and said in a neither condescending nor condescending manner: "It's my fault that I speak without restraint."

"That……"

Mrs.

"Madam is joking."

Jiao Shun still said calmly: "Not to mention that Mr. She and Mr. Zheng are brothers, and there is no need for an outsider like me to pass on the news. Now Qin Xian has already established a foothold in the other courtyard. If there is really a need,

The only way to help is to let him give advice to Mr. Zheng."

No matter how Xing made explicit or implicit statements, he just responded indifferently.

Mrs.

Halfway through her sentence, she caught sight of Jiao Shun's presence and quickly shut her mouth.

"What happened? You were so reckless?!"

Mrs.

After listening to the woman's report, Mrs.

Hiding the second half of her sentence, she waved her hand impatiently at Jiao Shun: "I need to deal with urgent matters at home. Brother Shun, please do it yourself."

Seeing that there was no need to quarrel in person, Jiao Shun secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but in his heart he was also curious about what accident happened, which made Mr. Xing unable to even think about making money.

Hearing that the servant girl said the word "autumn" just now, could it be that Qiu Tong was relying on Jia She's favor to cause some trouble during the Chinese New Year?

I thought in my mind that I had left the courtyard gate and was about to walk towards the corner gate when I bumped into Yingchun's master and servant without wanting to face him.

"Uncle Jiao."

Siqi and Xiuju were blessed first, and then Yingchun also blushed and said a blessing, saying, "Brother Jiao."

After saying that, he shyly retreated to the side of the road.

I don’t know if this was arranged by Xing.

Jiao Shun looked around and saw that there was no one else except her master and servant, so she hurriedly took out the contents of her embroidery bag and said with a smile: "What a coincidence!"

With that said, he first handed a gold bracelet to Siqi.

Si Qi subconsciously wanted to refuse, but found that the bracelet was actually the one Jiao Shun gave to him before, and he returned it to Jiao Shun. He was stunned for a moment.

Jiao Shun took the opportunity to hold her hand and put it in quickly, then took out another slightly smaller one and looked at Xiu Ju beside him.

Xiuju had gotten to know him well these days, and when she saw that Si Qi had already accepted the gift, she smiled and shook her sleeves, flashing her white wrist in front of Jiao Shun's eyes.

Jiao Shun raised his hand to catch the catkins, twirled her green-green fingers, and put on the bracelet in the same way as a gourd. He put the embroidered orange in front of his eyes and looked at it, then smiled shyly and said: "How can this happen?

It’s just a waste of money for my uncle.”

The word "Uncle" means that Jiao Shun sent him good things every once in a while.

Looking at Yingchun again, I could see that the red cloth on the oval face of the second young lady seemed to be muttering as if she wanted to scold her, but she didn't have the confidence to speak.

Jiao Bian smiled and said: "The second young lady relies on two girls to take care of her. Now I am entrusting the elder to repay her. You don't want to refute my face."

After saying that, he took out two small and exquisite chess boxes from his sleeves and brought them to Yingchun: "I heard that the second lady likes to play chess the most, but I found a set of chess pieces in the Ministry of Works. They are made of white marble and obsidian.

Yes, the material is just bad. What’s rare is that it’s very transparent and moist. Second Miss, let’s try it. If you don’t like it, I’ll buy another one.”

Yingchun glanced at the chess box secretly, then looked away as if it was burned, her head lowered and her ten fingers entangled in the handkerchief.

Seeing this, Xiuju stepped forward to take the chess box and forced it into Yingchun's hand.

He smiled and said: "Thank you for being so thoughtful, girl, just keep it."

Although Yingchun didn't answer, she held the two chess boxes tightly in her hands, and her head drooped even lower, almost digging into her precocious chest.

Jiao Shun saw that his goal had been achieved, but he was afraid that someone would catch him if he delayed for a long time, which would prevent the shy second lady from getting off the stage.

So he smiled and said goodbye.

Only then did Yingchun muster up the courage, glance at his face, and murmured: "Thank you so much, Brother Jiao."

Jiao Shun laughed, cupped his hands again, turned his head and walked away.

"whee……"

After watching him go away, Xiuju leaned forward and looked at the chess box and said, "Uncle Jiao is so thoughtful, which shows that this time the girl is a blessing in disguise."

Jia Yingchun glanced at her, but said seriously: "You have hidden that bracelet, and you don't dare to let others see it."

"What are you afraid of?"

Xiuju didn't take it seriously: "This is what the wife meant, and there is no need for the girl to be too shy."

Seeing that Siqi was still beside her, stroking the gold bracelet in ecstasy, she smiled and joked: "Sister, are you possessed by this?"

Si Qi finally came to his senses, covered up the mixed feelings in his heart, and glared: "Little Hoof, who are you talking about? I didn't know who it was just now, I wish I could put my body on it too!"

Saying that, he rolled up his sleeves to scratch Xiuji's itch.

The two were fighting.
Chapter completed!