With doubts, Jia Yun and Bu Wuniang returned to their home next door together.
There was a person standing under the eaves at the door of the dilapidated small house. Through the moonlight and the candlelight shining in the house, Jia Yun discovered that this person was Lin Zhixiao, the steward in charge of the accounting room of Rongguo Mansion. He was also the second only to the chief steward Lai among the stewards of Rongguo Mansion.
The big second housekeeper.
Because Jia Yun had previously punished Lin Zhixiao's disciple Qin Xian, so Qin Xian was kicked out, and now Jia Yun is at a very sensitive time.
Therefore, when she saw that the person coming was Lin Zhixiao, Jia Yun subconsciously had a bad feeling in her heart, thinking that Lin Zhixiao might be as evil as Jia Rong who came in the afternoon.
Jia Yun walked up to Lin Zhixiao and greeted him with a polite smile: "Second Master Lin is such a rare visitor. What's the point of suddenly coming to your door?"
Lin Zhixiao responded calmly: "Come into the room and talk."
"It should be." Jia Yun responded with a smile, feeling a little more relaxed. Although Lin Zhixiao only said one sentence, Jia Yun had already judged from Lin Zhixiao's tone and demeanor that Lin Zhixiao was not a bad person this time.
Immediately, Jia Yun and Lin Zhixiao walked into the house together, and Bu Wuniang also followed in out of curiosity.
Entering the main room, Jia Yun first asked Lin Zhixiao to sit down before sitting down herself.
"Mother, this is Butler Lin Zhixiao of Xifu. Please pour Butler Lin a cup of tea." Seeing that Bu Wuniang was a little confused, Jia Yun introduced her to Bu Wuniang, and then said to Lin Zhixiao: "Second Master Lin,
My family is poor and has only coarse tea, so don’t despise it."
As the second housekeeper of the Rongguo Mansion, Lin Zhixiao was very well-known in the Jia family. Although he was a slave, he was almost like a master in the eyes of many servants.
Even Bu Wuniang knew Lin Zhixiao's name, but she had never seen Lin Zhixiao himself. Lin Zhixiao's daughter-in-law was known as Lin Zhixiao's family, but Bu Wuniang had seen her.
It's funny to say that although Bu Wuniang is the daughter-in-law of the Jia family, in his eyes at this time, Lin Zhixiao, a slave, is actually like his master.
Bu Wuniang didn't dare to neglect, and was about to make tea immediately. Lin Zhixiao interrupted: "I won't drink tea anymore. I am here this time because the second master of the house has told me something. I will leave after finishing it."
As he spoke, Lin Zhixiao picked up a package he had brought and opened it. He saw some silver piled inside. Lin Zhixiao looked at Jia Yun and said, "Here are fifty taels of silver. The second master asked me to give it to you."
"The second master said that because he gave you one hundred taels of silver and promised to recommend you to attend Niu's martial arts school and help you pay for the tuition, there have been people coming to trouble him these past two days, making him impatient.
Yes. In addition, the eldest master of the house and Mr. Dongfuzhen have dissuaded him, so he just took back his life today, so you don't blame him."
"The fifty taels of silver here are given to you personally by him, not from the palace. This matter must be kept secret and don't let others know about it, otherwise there will be side branches to trouble him."
"The second master tells you to take these fifty taels of silver and diligently take the martial arts exam. If you succeed in the martial arts exam in the future, he will see you again."
Although Lin Zhixiao was not good at talking, he quickly handed over this task clearly.
Then he stood up and left. Jia Yun politely saw him off, but he refused: "Don't see me off. My coming to see you this time is confidential. If you see me off and others see it, things will be bad."
Jia Yun was just being polite. Now that she heard this, she would naturally not give it away.
After Lin Zhixiao left, Bu Wuniang immediately said excitedly: "The second master is really a good man. I knew he wouldn't be so cruel."
Jia Yun was amused when she heard this, and sighed in her heart: "He is just a good old man! He is also an unqualified leader!"
…
…
Jia Yun originally believed that although Jia Zheng was upright, courteous and kind, with a clean reputation, courteous to the virtuous and corporal, helped the weak and helped the vulnerable, and had great ancestral style, he was also incompetent.
Because Jia Zheng was an old-fashioned man, not familiar with worldly affairs, easily deceived by others, and did not like worldly affairs.
This kind of Jia Zheng is somewhat similar to his son Jia Baoyu. Jia Baoyu is not familiar with the world, is easily deceived, and does not like secular affairs. The difference is that Jia Zheng does not hate reading serious books as much as Jia Baoyu.
Unlike Jia Baoyu, who likes to mess around with his daughters.
Is Jia Zheng a bad person? Of course not, Jia Yun thinks he is a good person and a good old man.
In Jia Yun's view, the word "good old man" is not derogatory in itself, but rather endearing.
However, when a good old man like Jia Zheng holds such an important position as the head of the Rongguo Mansion, it is definitely derogatory. A good old man cannot be the head of the Rongguo Mansion.
Through his own affairs this time, Jia Yun discovered that he still overestimated Jia Zheng, and that Jia Zheng's incompetence exceeded his expectations.
First, Jia Zheng originally wanted to give Jia Yun two hundred taels of silver, but Zhan Guang dissuaded him and changed the offer to one hundred taels on the spot.
Again, Jia Zheng became impatient after being quarreled by the side branches for two days. When Jia Zhen dissuaded her again, Jia Zheng took back his orders. Not only did he not recommend Jia Yun to go to Niu's martial arts school, he even gave her to her.
Jia Rong asked Jia Rong to take back the one hundred taels of silver that went out. This was equivalent to humiliating Jia Yun and made Jia Yun a joke to the Jia family.
Then, Jia Zheng still wanted to help Jia Yun take the martial arts exam, but he didn't dare to act openly. Instead, he sent Lin Zhixiao to quietly deliver fifty taels of silver to Jia Yun at night. The fifty taels of silver were still his own.
After all, Jia Zheng is the head of the Rongguo Mansion, and he is still an official, but he is so incompetent!
Also, if Jia Zheng had been a capable man, the Ning and Rong mansions in the original novel would not have been reduced to "like a bird that has eaten all its food and thrown itself into the forest, leaving a vast expanse of white land, so clean", and the ending of so many golden hairpins would not have been the same.
It would be so miserable.
This incident made Jia Yun's evaluation of Jia Zheng lower.
Jia Yun believes that Jia Zheng is an unqualified leader. Yes, he cannot even pass the standard.
Although Jia Yun still doesn't understand the situation of the imperial court in this world of Red Mansions, she doesn't know what the situation of Ning Rong's second mansion is in the macro perspective...
But one thing is certain, that is, the situation of Ning Rong's Second Mansion must be dangerous, otherwise Ning Rong's Second Mansion in the original book would not be so miserable in the future.
Rongguo Mansion is in such a dangerous situation. Even if the family members are qualified, they are not good enough. Even if they are good, they need to be excellent to save Rongguo Mansion.
However, Jia Zheng, the head of the family, was unqualified, and there was also a big cancer in the Rongguo Mansion, Jia She. Jia She was both Jia Zheng's brother and the person who wanted to seize the title, so how could Jia Zheng, the unqualified head of the family, be able to rectify him?
However, this time Jia Zheng quietly sent Jia Yun fifty taels of silver, and Jia Yun was still grateful. The fifty taels of silver were precious to him now.
Originally, Jia Yun had already made a long-term plan in her mind, spending half a year or even a year making money first, and then studying private martial arts after earning enough money.
But he really doesn't want to do this. He cherishes time more than in his previous life. He doesn't want to spend half a year or even a year dedicated to making money, because in his opinion, this is a waste of time. In his opinion, this is also a bit cruel.
It feels like time is dragging on the ground.
In addition, Jia Yun felt that Jia Zheng was smart in sending Lin Zhixiao to secretly give him money this time.
If the person Jia Zheng sent to deliver the money this time was not Lin Zhixiao but Zhan Guang, then Zhan Guang might be causing trouble. Even if Zhan Guang sent fifty taels, he might still spread the news.
Zhan Guang and Jia Yun had issues, and Zhan Guang was still very petty.
In fact, it was not Jia Zhengfang who was too smart about this matter.
Jia Zheng did not send Zhan Guang to send any money, nor even told Zhan Guang about it.
Because he felt that as the head of the family, he could only secretly give fifty taels of silver to the juniors he admired, and it was still personal money. If this matter were to be known to a gentleman like Zhan Guang, it would be embarrassing for him.
That's why Jia Zhengcai found a slave like Lin Zhixiao. He knew that Lin Zhixiao was strict with his mouth.