That night, when Zhou Yanqing returned to the mansion, a row of red lanterns had been lit up in the courtyard. The candlelight was swaying, and the red lanterns were still rippling slightly with the night wind.
When the boy guarding the door saw his sixth master returning to the house, he hurriedly nodded and bowed to welcome him in.
Zhou Yanqing glanced around and saw no one in the daytime, so he felt that it was the right time to come back today. There were no noisy things guarding the road, and his ears were much quieter.
It was night, and Saturday Master didn't even think about going to his room to ask for anything. He went straight to his courtyard and took a bath. He came out of the bathtub with a fragrant smell, and drank a cup of fragrant tea served by the servant.
Turn around and go to the study to handle the general affairs.
Saturday Master thought he would be able to have some peace and quiet tonight, but before his buttocks got warm, there was a sound coming from the door.
"Is Mr. Liu back? Shitou, please tell me. I've brought a supper to Mr. Liu. I've been simmering this chicken soup for a day. He must have not eaten well after running around all day. This will just make up for it.
One supplement.”
Mr. Zhou's personal servant Shitou couldn't help but look up at the sky.
The night sky was dark and there were no stars in sight.
The sixth master of his family was most annoyed by these women who were all covered in fragrance, and he couldn't bear to deal with them. He thought he would be quiet tonight, but he didn't expect them to come again.
It's just that these people are all related to the old ladies or ladies in the house, and he is just a servant and he doesn't dare to offend people severely.
"Miss Wu, look, it's too late now. We're going to rest soon, so we don't need the chicken soup."
Brother Shitou thought his tone was quite gentle, so he refused. The young lady in front of him probably wouldn't do anything to him. It would be best if he could turn around and go back immediately after hearing what he said, so he wouldn't have to offend anyone and it would be done.
His sixth master asked him to stick to the study room.
Unexpectedly, he was thinking just right when he heard the maid holding chicken soup next to Miss Wu yell: "You bitch! You know it's too late? Didn't you see my lady say that this chicken soup is already stewed?"
Have you been here all day? It’s getting cold in a while, and I’ve delayed my lady’s affairs. Let’s see if I want to slap you!”
Brother Shitou is so angry. As the most respectable boy next to Mr. Six in the mansion, when has anyone ever called him a "dog slave"?
I immediately became angry.
He was not polite and said: "I am a dog slave. What are you? I just followed your lady to stay as a guest, but you have the nerve to make a loud noise in front of my master's study!"
The young lady surnamed Wu looked a little confused after hearing this.
He glared at the girl next to him. Was he afraid that the people inside wouldn't be able to hear the loud noise?
He hurriedly took out a purse from his body and gave it to Shi Shi, not letting him refuse. He smiled and said: "Shi Shi, you don't have to be familiar with her. She just saw that I cooked chicken soup for your father all day long, and then waited until so late, and still kept it all the time.
Come here, just do the hard work for me. Tell your father for me, and I won’t bother him. Just give him the chicken soup and leave."
Shi Shi secretly squeezed the purse in his hand, and a few hard pieces came out. He was very happy.
But he didn't dare to put people in. He rolled his eyes and was thinking about something when he saw two more people walking in the darkness, also a master and a servant.
As we got closer, I saw that it was not the eldest lady’s niece who came back, but someone from the old lady’s natal family.
The Miss Lin who came here was even more proud in front of the old lady. She lived in the house for half of the year. She went home not long ago because of the Mid-Autumn Festival, so she was taken here again.
Both the old lady and the Lin family hoped that the sixth wife's maiden sister would be the successor to his sixth master.
Naturally, the Miss Wu family also saw the beautiful woman wandering in at night. Her hand holding the embroidered handkerchief tightened, and she wanted to twist the handkerchief out of the flowers.
How dare a merchant girl argue with her? Her father is the prefect!
"Hey, Sister Lin, it's so late and you're here to bring chicken soup? The information is quite good."
The young lady who exported her name was Wu, and her maiden name was Wu Jiao. She was the concubine of the eldest wife of the Zhou family. Both sisters were the concubines of the magistrate.
Originally, she was the daughter of a prefect. Although she was a concubine, she was still a daughter of an official family. Not to mention marrying into a high position, even if she found a child of an ordinary official family, she could marry and become a decent lady.
But who allowed the Zhou family in Beijing to show their faces in front of the Holy Master again?
Besides, Magistrate Wu has been in office for two consecutive terms, and he has long been looking forward to being promoted and becoming a Beijing official. However, his political performance is mediocre, so he needs to find a way to become a Beijing official.
If he could marry a concubine to the Zhou family whose business had grown to Kyoto, and with the help of the Zhou family in the middle of the capital, would he still be afraid that he wouldn't be able to move up the ladder?
After listening to the eldest daughter's words, I packed up the daughter who was a common daughter and sent it over a long time ago.
And the lady from the Lin family who came over in the night, whose maiden name was Biyu, was the daughter of the old lady's eldest brother.
Old Mrs. Lin's family is also a merchant, and she is a good match for the Zhou family. However, there is no one in the Lin family, and the business is not as big as that of the Zhou family. Since ancient times, officials have to rely on money to support themselves, and merchants have to rely on the official family.
to open up relationships.
The Lin family will naturally want to curry favor with the Zhou family.
After listening to Wu Jiao's words, Lin Biyu covered her mouth with a handkerchief and laughed softly: "I don't have a sister who is well-informed. Sister, I made a pot of chicken soup for my cousin. I just thought that my cousin wouldn't come back, so I
I gave it to my aunt, who said I was filial. I thought my cousin was tired after running around all day, so I made a pot of tea. It was not as good as my sister's chicken soup. But I drank it this night.
I'm afraid the chicken soup is too greasy."
Shitou saw the two young ladies starting to argue again, and his head felt as big as a bucket.
Since they came to Zhou's house, these two young ladies felt that they had a chance to win, and they refused to give in to the other.
No one would like a woman who is an old lady's niece and cousin.
The other one relied on the fact that he had a father who was a magistrate and was the wife's natal sister, so he also used a lot of influence to disturb a lot of people. Because he had a father who was an official and had eyes on the top of his head, several wives
They are all ignored.
It is his unlucky servants who suffer the hardship.
At this time, because of the instructions of his sixth master, he was guarding the study and no one could enter. Seeing that the two ladies were about to start a fight at the door again, he had no choice but to comfort him: "Two ladies, look at what's going on today.
It's late. My sixth master has been out all day and has accumulated a lot of errands. He is busy taking care of them. I hope he can finish them quickly and rest early. You two ladies, please be considerate and come back tomorrow."
After listening to the two ladies, one said that he would not disturb him for too long, and only put the chicken soup in and watched Mr. Liu finish it before leaving. The other said that he only brought tea in and did not delay, so he put it down and left.
Shitou was named "Shitou" by his sixth master because of his stupid mouth. How could he withstand this!
I was so anxious that I was sweating on my forehead, and his sixth master didn't even make a sound inside.
Just when he couldn't resist it, another person came from a distance.
Shitou just felt that he shouldn't take advantage of another servant today. Do you think guarding the door is such an easy job?
The one who came was a beautiful concubine named Liniang given to her by the uncle from the Jingli clan, Liu Ye.
Now the two ladies who were standing at the door became angry when they saw the visitor.
There was a snort in the nostrils. I am just a concubine. The mistress is gone, but I have to get up! I want you to look good when I come in! It is late at night. It is autumn, and you are still wearing such thin clothes. This is red again
It’s yellow and green, and it’s singing!
This Liniang didn't seem to notice the glances of the two young ladies. She just said to Shi Shi in a friendly manner: "Where are you inside? I came back so late. I don't know if I've eaten enough outside, but if I've drank wine? I'll give it to you."
I have prepared hangover soup and a table of wine and food, which have been warmed several times. I am just waiting for you to come back and eat. Shitou, please tell me for me."
The stone was very embarrassed.
This person has some status in the government.
His father went to the capital and was given it by the uncle of the Zhou family in Beijing. I heard that she was a young lady from a down-and-out official family. She also picked up the piano, chess, calligraphy and painting. She was good-looking and had a good temper.
And because it was given by the Zhou family in Beijing, the old lady in the mansion also had to give it some dignity.
In addition, there is no mistress in the sixth house, and she is the only aunt. She usually takes care of most of my father's affairs.
Shitou doesn't want to offend anyone.
Just as she was about to speak, Wu Jiao said to Liniang: "You are just a concubine. You will be embarrassed if your mistress is gone. But everything must be done on a first-come, first-served basis. I am the first to come. If
Brother Zhou wanted to have dinner, so he accepted my invitation first."
Lin Biyu frowned after hearing this, but she didn't say anything. Now she and Wu Jiao were in the same group, and they had long disliked Liniang.
She usually looks harmless to humans and animals, but actually there is something going on underneath. Can the daughter of a good family be used as a concubine?
Liniang over there didn't seem angry after hearing Wu Jiao's words. Instead, she covered her mouth with a handkerchief and smiled, saying: "Miss Wu and Cousin Lin are both guests in the house. If my sixth master is sleepy and tired,
, you two are not easy to serve as unmarried people, right?"
When Wu Jiao heard this, she jumped up and said, "You're so shameless! The two of us just made soup and tea for Brother Zhou, but you thought of going to that dirty place. Look, I won't tell you tomorrow.
Madam and eldest madam. If you want to ruin my reputation, you have to see if my father agrees!"
Lin Biyu couldn't help but choked.
This person was hired as a wife and concubine. She was here to be the official wife, but she didn't want someone to use her reputation as a concubine. In the end, she could only end up being a concubine.
Didn't she just want to drag people into her room? Now that the mother of the sixth house is gone, isn't it just her concubine who has taken over?
Like Wu Jiao, both of them are not angry.
The voice was getting louder and louder.
However, Liniang's voice was always gentle, and she didn't look angry at all. She still looked good-tempered. The two of them became even more angry when they saw her like this.
The voices of Miss Lin and Wu were getting louder and louder. You might as well hear a "bang" sound coming from the study, like the sound of something slamming on the door.
Shitou was startled, came to his senses, and hurriedly opened his hands to drive the people out: "Aunts, I beg you, it's a deep night, you three should go back to the courtyard to rest. My father is getting angry.
Now, the little one will have to be beaten again in a while. Misses, Aunt Li, please do your best."
Liniang, Wu Jiao and Lin Biyu naturally heard the sound in the study and were startled.
The sixth master lost his temper and even the old lady couldn't control it. He immediately stopped talking, glanced timidly at the study, took the maid with oil on his soles and left.
In the study room, Zhou Yanqing listened to the sound of footsteps walking away. He rubbed his forehead with his hands and exhaled several times to calm down... (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome
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