There are two large stone lions squatting at the door of a house and three animal-headed doors. The main door is not open, and only the east and west corner doors have people coming in and out.
There is a plaque above the main entrance, with the five characters "Edict to Build Ningguo Mansion" written on it.
When Jia Min saw the gate, she suddenly felt proud: "Daiyu, this is Jia's big house."
Lin Daiyu and the little yellow cat looked over.
"so big!"
"Meow!"
Lots of delicious food!Lan
"Lele, this is someone else's house, you are not allowed to eat randomly!" Lin Daiyu warned.
"Meow!" the little yellow cat said sincerely.
Don't worry, I only eat what I find, no one wants it.
Lin Daiyu was stunned and a little embarrassed.
It shouldn’t matter if you eat what no one wants, right?
Heading west again, not far away, there are still three gates, and you will find Rongguo Mansion.
But he did not enter the main gate, but only entered the west corner gate. The bearer carried the sedan chair and walked for a short distance. When he was about to turn, he stopped and retreated. The women behind him had all got off the sedan chair and caught up with them. Others came forward.
Three or four well-dressed boys of seventeen or eighteen years old came up and lifted up the sedan again.
All the ladies stepped down and followed her to a door with hanging flowers.
The young man left, and the ladies came up to open the curtain of the sedan chair, and helped Daiyu and Jia Min get out of the sedan chair.
"No, I'm not more familiar with this place than you are?" Jia Min said casually, then took her daughter's hand and walked directly inside.
After entering the hanging flower door, there are hand-painted verandahs on both sides, and in the middle is the entrance hall, where there is a large marble screen with a red sandalwood frame. Turning around the screen, there are three small halls, and behind the hall is the main courtyard at the back.
The five upper rooms on the front are all decorated with carved beams and painted beams. On both sides there are verandahs and wing rooms with various parrots, thrushes and other birds hanging on them.
On the steps, there were several girls sitting in red and green clothes.
When Jia Min came in, these birds were all panicking, some were flying around and screaming, and some were excreting everywhere. After a while, the girls were in a state of panic, screaming and screaming.
The little yellow cat grinned, showing an evil smile.
These servants all had their eyes raised above their heads, just to see that they were unhappy.
The Jia family does not allow anyone to be more awesome than me!
"Oh, my aunt, why did you bring a cat with you when you came back?" An old man in brocade clothes came out of the door and complained softly to Jia Min.
Jia Min laughed: "Manager Lai, after so many years of not seeing each other, your eyes have become more and more unique. You can actually see my Lele at a glance."
Lai laughed and said: "Miss, the old lady is waiting in the back room. If you give this cat to the old slave, I will take good care of it for you."
Jia Min groaned with a smile, but did not answer.
This eldest mother, Aunt Lai, was a maid sold into the Jia family. Aunt Lai was an old servant who had served the old master of the Jia family. She was smart and capable, and won the trust and praise of Jia's mother.
For this reason, Lai Da and his brother Lai Er were appointed as the chief stewards of Rong and Ning respectively.
In the past, in her eyes, this Lai Da was very good and very good at doing things, but for some reason, now she looked at him, and his smile was a bit scary.
It seems like a fat and huge rat looking at the plump rice barn, greedy and indifferent.
Lai laughed for a while, and when he met Jia Min's eyes, he gradually stopped laughing and even felt chills all over.
"Miss, eldest lady?" Laida asked pitifully.
Jia Min waved her hand: "It's okay."
The married daughter throws away the water, and the Jia family's affairs don't have much to do with her now, as long as her mother lives well.
"Go and drive away those birds. Lele is my husband's heart treasure and no one can take it away." Jia Min ordered.
"But these birds are the old lady's favorite." Lai Da explained casually, a little too lazy to move.
In Rongguo Mansion, he would only obey the orders of the old lady immediately.
Jia Min took a deep look at him, then looked around, pushed him aside, and was about to pull Daiyu inside.
Lai Da, who was just about to block the road, suddenly felt an unparalleled force coming towards him.
"Plop, bang~dong~" Lan
Looking at Lai Da who fell more than ten feet away, smashed a pot of flowers, broke a pillar, and was crying and wailing on the ground, Jia Min raised his hand and looked at it. It was soft and white, and then fell into deep thought.
Play me???
After a while, two maids came forward with an old lady with silver hair on their arms. She was Taijun Shi, the mother of Jia She and Jia Zheng, and the old mistress of the Jia family.
"Well, you girl, you are making a big fuss when you come here. If no one stops you, will the house be demolished?" The old lady scolded her with raised eyebrows when she came out.
Jia Min hurried forward and said softly: "Mother, this Manager Lai is lying to you. Look at my small body, how can I get such strength?"
The old lady looked up and down at her daughter, whom she had not seen for a long time. Although she was already in her thirties, she had a rosy complexion, fair skin, and a delicate and pretty body. She really didn't look like such a girl.
Then he turned to Manager Lai and cursed: "Well, you boss Lai, my girl tried to trick me on the first day she came back, why don't you get out of here!"
According to everyone's rules, the following offenses are punishable by death. However, since the old lady was a housekeeper, she was compassionate and kind, so the servants became more unruly.
Since the old lady saw through Lai Da's pitiful intentions, she would not punish him or compensate him.
Lai Da:......
Two servants came out and quickly carried Mr. Lai down. The maid who followed behind him admired Mr. Lai very much.
Look at the wounds, the shouts, the expressions, the movements, they look so similar! It would be a pity not to sing with such talent.
"Mother, look at your grandson, Lin Enran, and your granddaughter, Lin Daiyu." After the crowd left, Jia Min pointed out the son in her arms and the daughter beside her to her mother.
Although Lin Enran was three years old, she was still weak, so Jia Min kept hugging her.
I don’t know why, even though I hired a wet nurse, the child just doesn’t grow.
And every time I see Lele, I cry.
How strange!
The old lady reached out and touched her daughter's face with tears in her eyes: "My dear daughter, I have suffered so much for you these years!"
As someone who has experienced it, she knows the pressure of being a housewife who has never been able to give birth to a child. This is a sin against the seven sins of a married woman. If she is divorced, how will she live in the future?
(Seven occurrences: childlessness, adultery, unclean aunt, gossip, theft, jealousy, and illness. Ancient customs have nothing to do with modern times, and there is no insinuation or dissatisfaction.)
When Jia Min heard this, she couldn't hold back her tears and threw herself into the old lady's arms: "Mom!"
Everyone standing there covered their faces and wept. Daiyu couldn't stop crying either. She didn't know why she was crying.
The little yellow cat rolled his eyes. His daughter's house was prone to getting wet, so he simply covered his ears and closed his eyes, and got into the arms of the shovel to sleep.
"Meow~"
Call me when dinner is ready!
…
In the inner room, the old lady and Jia Min, who had calmed down, began to chat. Seeing Lin Daiyu's little one standing alone, she ordered: "Invite the girls. The guests from far away are here today, so you don't have to go to school."
The maids waiting around agreed, and then the two of them went out.
After a while, I saw three nannies and five or six maids, surrounding the three sisters.
The first one has slightly plump skin, a medium-sized figure, fresh cheeks, and a greasy nose. She is gentle and silent, and looks amiable. She is Jia Yingchun, the daughter of Daiyu's uncle Jia She.
The second one has slim shoulders, a slim waist, a long figure, a duck-oval face, handsome eyes and beautiful eyebrows, and a look that looks sharp. She is Jia Yuanchun, the daughter of her second uncle Jia Zheng.
The third one is not tall enough and is described as still small. She wears a hairpin, a skirt and a coat. She is also the daughter of her second uncle, named Tanchun.
Following the old lady's instructions, the four little girls came to the side and started chattering.
After a while, Lin Daiyu took out the little yellow cat from her arms and started to show off.
"Look, my Lele is really awesome. When I came here today, all the birds in the yard were so frightened that they panicked." Lan.
Seeing such a cute little animal, the girls were immediately moved, and one by one they came forward to touch and kiss it.
Tanchun, the youngest, was not convinced: "What does it mean to drive away birds? I used to have a dog at home that could also catch mice."
"Lele can also catch. Last time I asked him what he was doing next to my bathtub, he said he was catching mice!" Lin Daiyu said unconvinced.
Miao Le:......
"Then my dog can still eat shit, can your Lele do it?" Tanchun akimbo, very proud.
Lin Daiyu was stunned: "Huh, my Lele licked me last time..."
"Meow~" the little yellow cat jumped directly onto her shoulder, stretched out its tail and blocked the mouth.
Why do you keep talking about everything outside?
"Wow!" Lin Daiyu burst into tears.
In front of outsiders, Lele didn't even give her face.
Hearing the cry, Jia Min looked over and smiled without getting up.
When my daughter saw it, she was bullied by Lele again, which was good.
The old lady hesitated to speak.
Yuan Chun was a little panicked. He stepped forward and hugged Lin Daiyu to comfort him: "Okay, okay, it's okay. Your Jialele is the most powerful, but why doesn't he let you talk?" Lan
Lin Daiyu's eyes were red and she said with a cry: "Lele didn't stop me from talking, he was playing with me."
Third Girl:......
Who did you learn this talk from? Why do you look a bit like Brother Jia Lian?
Every time he was kicked out by his sister-in-law, he also said that he locked his wife in the house out of anger.
Before he could finish his words, he heard someone laughing in the backyard and said, "I came late and didn't greet the guests from afar!"
The maids serving beside him suddenly fell silent.
Daiyu wondered: "All of these people are holding their voices and holding their breath, so solemn and solemn. Who is this person who is showing off like this?"
When I was thinking about it, I saw a group of daughters-in-law and maids surrounding a person coming in from the back door. This person was dressed differently from other girls, with brilliant embroidery, looking like a concubine or a fairy, with a pair of red phoenix and triangular eyes, and two curved willow leaves.
Daiyu, who was sitting outside, quickly stood up with the three girls to receive her.
Jia Mu smiled and introduced: "This is a well-known rogue in the family. He is known as 'La Zi' in southern province. You can just call him 'Feng La Zi'."
Dai Yuzheng didn't know what to call her, but all the sisters hurriedly told him: "This is Sister-in-law Lian."
Although Daiyu didn't know her, she had heard her mother say that Jia Lian, the son of her uncle Jia She, married the niece of her second aunt Wang. She was raised as a boy since she was a child, and her scientific name was Wang Xifeng.
With her mother behind her and Lele on her chest, Daiyu was very confident and not afraid of anyone. She politely said, "Sister-in-law."
Wang Xifeng held Daiyu's hand and looked carefully up and down. When she saw the arrogant kitten on her chest, her expression condensed. After a moment, she smiled and said: "There really are villains with such a mark in the world. I just saw it today."
See you again!" Lan
Lin Daiyu suddenly felt a little shy, but Lele kept saying that she looked ordinary.
Hum, stinky Lele!
When acquaintances met, everyone exchanged pleasantries again.
Between women, even if they look down on each other deep down, it is inevitable to praise each other.
We are all close relatives, and they are all respectable people. Maybe we will have to ask for help from others in the future, so naturally there will be no cynicism.
Then Jia Min took her children and got on the carriage to go to the courtyard of her two uncles to find the door.
It is another large courtyard, with five main rooms on top, wing rooms on both sides and deer-top ear rooms, extending in all directions, making it majestic and magnificent.
Entering the hall through a large corridor, you look up and see a large plaque in red gold, nine dragons and blue. On the plaque are written three big characters of Douda, which is "Rongxi Hall", followed by a line of small characters: "A certain year, month and day,
The book was "gifted to Jia Yuan, Duke of Rongguo", and there were "treasures worth tens of thousands of Chen Han".
On the large red sandalwood carving table, there is a green bronze tripod about three feet high, hanging to be drained with a large ink dragon painting. On one side is a gold 蜼【wěi】彝【yí】 (ancient ritual vessel), and on the other side is a glazed platform
dish.
There are sixteen nanmu chairs in two rows on the ground floor, and there is a pair of couplets, which are ebony couplets inlaid with chiseled silver writing, saying: On the seats, the sun and moon are illuminated by pearls, and in front of the hall, the embellished gown is glowing with mist.
There is a line of small characters below, which reads: "The disciples of the same country and the world have paid tribute to Mu Shi, the king of Dong'an County, in a handwritten letter."
Standing in front of the hall, Jia Min held her daughter motionless, seeming to recall the past events of her childhood.
At that time, the old man was here, and the Jia family was the real master. Now, the brothers are not doing anything, so they rely on the old lady to support them. For military affairs outside, they even have to rely on an outsider, that is, Wang Xifeng’s eldest brother, Wang Ziteng.
.
At home, the maids and housekeepers dare to bully the master. How long can such a Jia family continue to be prosperous and inherited?
After a while, Daiyu's two aunts, Mrs.
Xiao Daiyu squeezed the envelope tightly with a solemn expression. She must be smarter this time and don't let Lele fool her!
What a bad cat, he would lie to a little girl!
However, the two uncles were nowhere to be seen, and I don’t know whether they did not come back due to important matters or other circumstances.
After a while, I saw a maid coming back: "The old lady has delivered dinner."
In the backyard, Jia Min brought her two children into the room. There were already many people waiting here. When she came over, they set up tables and chairs.
The wife of Jia Zhu, the eldest son of the second uncle Jia Zheng: Mrs. Li brought the rice, Wang Xifeng set the chopsticks, and Mrs. Wang brought the soup. Jia's mother sat alone on the couch in front, with four empty chairs on both sides.
Wang Xifeng quickly pulled Jia Min to sit on the first chair on the left, but Jia Min refused.
Jia Mu smiled and said, "You are a guest, so you should sit like this."
Jia Min sighed and went home again. She was already a guest, so she had to take Daiyu and say goodbye.
Jia Mu ordered Mrs. Wang to sit down.
The three sisters Yingchun came up after taking their seats. Yingchun sat first on the right, Tanchun third on the left, and Xichun second on the right.
The maid next to you is always busy with whisking dust, washing bowls, and handkerchiefs, and comes to serve you at any time.
Li and Feng stood beside the case. Although there were many wives and maids waiting outside, they didn't even hear a cough.
Holding the little yellow cat in her arms, Lin Daiyu saw for the first time what a true prince is.
Isn’t it troublesome to have a meal with so many people waiting on it?
It's better to be at home, where I and Lele fight for food at the table, and sometimes the dishes can be turned over.
Of course, it's easy to get beaten this way.
Everyone in the Jia family, including the maids and servants, had a little displeasure on their faces when they saw that Lin Daiyu didn't even eat, but fed the kitten with the bowls and chopsticks used by the nobles.
It's a small family, but there are no rules.
How could a little yellow cat have the right to eat with them, or even use these expensive tableware?