Baochai greeted all the sisters and sat down. The head housekeeper of the Xue family also kowtowed in the outer room and asked an older female servant to bring in some words, "Our madam said that we will go to the capital together after the eldest son's examination. Please take care of our young lady."

Mama Su signaled Bai Lu with her eyes. The head maidservant stepped forward and said, "Reporting to the old madam, madams, grannies, and young ladies.

Because we thought that there was nothing in the capital that couldn't be found, we didn't bring anything other than some rouge, powder, and silk flowers that we collected from our own household. We'll send them over in a little while, and I hope that you won't dislike them. "

As soon as Bai Lu's voice fell, a person who looked like a celestial concubine raised her hand and covered her mouth with a handkerchief and laughed.

She wore a bright red satin jacket with a blue cloak on the outside and an emerald skirt on the bottom. The bright red and green made her look elegant and graceful.

They were still wondering who she was. It turned out to be Second Master Lian's first wife who came to pick them up from the docks. She was also from the Wang family and called Lady Wang and Mrs. Xue "Aunt".

Her willowy eyebrows curved and her almond eyes squinted. She opened her cherry mouth and said, "I want to see what good things you have!

It's said that the rouge hairpins in the south are much more exquisite and novel than those in the north. If anyone dislikes them, just give them to me. I won't stop until I use them! "

Lady Jia sat at the head of the table and pointed at her while laughing, "You little monkey, you're asking for things in front of your relatives. Aren't you ashamed?

Bao Yatou is young and thin-skinned. I'll let you have some fun. I have to be the master! "

Feng Jie supported the maidservant next to him and cried injustice. She only said that the old madam didn't love her anymore because she had a new younger sister and couldn't even bear to give her some rouge powder. Everyone in the hall was convulsing with laughter.

When the laughter died down, Lady Jia said to Lady Wang, "We have a delicate guest in our house. Have you arranged a place for her to stay?"

Lady Wang stood up and answered, "It's been arranged. In a few days, my younger sister will be bringing her son to the north, so we've made Pear Courtyard a separate one for them to live in. It won't hinder the men from coming in and out, so it's just right."

Lady Jia nodded her head, "Concubine is also experienced. This arrangement is very good. You do things properly and always make people feel at ease."

Lady Wang bowed slightly before sitting down. Mrs. Jia turned to Baochai and asked, "What do you usually do at home?"

Baochai smiled and replied, "Previously, she had been observing mourning at home. Every day, other than making needles and chiseling, she would copy scriptures and recite Buddhist scriptures. It was quite boring." The Lady Jia nodded again, "This is a filial girl."

Not long after, she hugged Baoyu, who was wearing bright red clothes, and rubbed the back of Baochai's head a few times. She said to Baochai, "We've just talked about this. Your aunt's second son, Baoyu.

I didn't notice it before, but now that I look closely, there are four to five similarities. It can be seen that they are really our family's relatives.

In the future, you just have to live with peace of mind and get along well with your sisters. "

Baochai stood up and complied. At this time, a servant came in to report that lunch was ready. Lady Jia casually pointed to a maidservant standing beside her and said, "This maidservant is called Su Yun. She's usually very helpful at my side.

You've just arrived, so you don't understand the big and small matters in this fu. Also, you're living alone in your relative's house. I'm afraid you'll be embarrassed to ask, so I asked her to take care of you. If there's anything you want to eat or play, just send her to find your aunt. "

The maidservant, who was wearing a pea green gown and a moon-white wide-brimmed lotus colored cloak, stepped out and bowed. She then led Baochai to follow behind Lady Wang to the dining room.

Lady Jia sat at a large round table. Lady Wang and Lady Xing from the first branch stood on both sides of the table. Behind them, there were countless maidservants serving them.

Daiyu and Baoyu sat on either side of the old lady. Baochai and the other maidservants sat together. After a short while, only the sound of cups, bowls, plates and plates rubbing against each other could be heard. Everyone ate in silence.

She knew the rules of the Jia Mansion, so she didn't make a fool of herself.

After the silent meal, Lady Jia wanted to lie down and rest for a while.

Feng Jie went to take care of the household matters. Lady Wang took her daughter-in-law back, leaving Baochai to chat and laugh with the other maidservants.

The maidservants quickly became familiar with each other and sat together to play. Only Baoyu and Daiyu sat on the side, rubbing their heads and chattering endlessly.

Baoyu eagerly tried to squeeze himself into the group of girls, but Baochai did not pay any attention to him, and she also had a lot of things she wanted to say to Lin Meimei. Therefore, she glanced at him from time to time, and then glanced at him again. Tanchun laughed and pointed two fingers at him, saying, "How long has it been? You've already glanced at me two or three times. Why haven't you quickly brought the tea to apologize?"

As expected, Baoyu walked over with his teacup and bowed to Baochai, "Good sister, in the past, when we were naughty, you didn't come. This time, you've come to stay. It's only fun when everyone is together."

Mama Su's eyebrows were about to fly to the sky. She had never seen such a person who didn't have any self-awareness.

Even the sons of the upper class noble families wouldn't spoil him to this extent. He was at least ten years old, yet he was still fooling around behind the curtain. He didn't even have a trace of restraint when he moved, sat, or slept.

Although his eyes were clear and pure, it should be caused by his innocence. However, his actions were really ruining her innocence.

Moreover, even if the child was insensible, would the adults in the family be insensible too?

Without waiting for her to speak, Baochai stood up and hid behind Su Yun, blocking half of her face. She didn't take the teacup in Baoyu's hand. She only took her own cup from the table and took a sip, "I appreciate Brother Baoyu's kindness. I've caught a cold in the wind on the river these two days. I'm afraid my illness has passed. That's all."

When everyone saw her expression, they knew it was just an excuse. Baoyu embarrassedly picked up the teacup and also took a sip. He didn't know how to refute her, so he sullenly returned to his seat beside Daiyu and played with a jade carving of nine rings.

The sisters chatted and laughed for a while. Each of them said that they would choose a day to visit Baochai. When Jia Mu woke up, they all agreed to go together and pay their respects before withdrawing.

Baochai and Mama Su walked side by side in the front. Bai Lu, Ying 'er, and Su Yun walked behind them. The two little servant girls surrounded Su Yun and asked her questions. The three of them were very lively.

When they arrived at Pear Fragrance Courtyard, Baochai turned to Mama Su and said, "I'll have to trouble Mama to make another trip. I'll have to trouble Mama to see if the Head Steward has completed his etiquette and not let him go out to do his work. Then I'll have to go to Aunt's place to complain."

Mama Su knew that she had a plan in mind. Earlier, she had also cautiously avoided Baoyu, so she felt relieved. She slightly bent her waist and left.

As soon as she walked around the moon gate, Su Yun, who was at the back, said to Ying 'er in surprise, "This Mama has such a big style. Her movements are just like those stewards outside."

Ying 'er giggled and broke a willow branch in her hand. She weaved an exquisite and small flower basket and handed it to her, saying, "Our Madam asked her old relative, the Jinling Zhen family's Old Madam, to find a steward Mama for our Miss from the palace. She's very strict. Normally, we don't even dare to provoke her."

Su Yun took the flower basket and couldn't put it down. She turned it over and over and looked at it. As she looked, she said, "No wonder the Pao Girl is so steady. Since there's a Mama from the palace, I'm afraid even our 'Devil Incarnate' can change well!"

Ying 'er and Bai Lu looked at each other, stuck out their tongues and smiled. How could ordinary people see Mama Su's power and benefits?

She quietly changed the atmosphere of the entire Xue family to be completely different from that of ordinary merchants. Therefore, whether it was the Miss or the Madam, they all respected her very much. Even the teacher who taught the eldest son to read was sincerely convinced by these two Mama Su. They were like half a teacher.

Baochai walked in front, not caring about what the three maidservants behind her were talking about. They stopped by a moon gate with lush greenery. Su Yun immediately stopped talking and walked in front of her in small steps, "Miss, follow me. Pear Courtyard is this way." After they left the small eastern courtyard of Lady Wang's main room, they went through a narrow path to the west and arrived at Pear Courtyard.

This courtyard was small and delicate. There were about ten rooms in it. The front hall and back hall were complete. There was a door on the street outside, separating the front and back. It was just right for a simple person to live in for a long time.

However, Baochai didn't dare to live here for a long time. In the fourth month, her brother also had to go to the capital to settle accounts. She didn't want to be led ten times worse by these Jia family's children after she finally moved half a step on the right path.

Su Yun led them into the rear courtyard of Pear Courtyard. Baochai avoided the main room and the east wing. She only looked around the west wing and said to Ying 'er, "Let's do it here. You ask the biddies to bring my chest and basket here. Also arrange it according to our home. Arrange for Mama Su to stay in the pavilion behind the west wing.

You can squeeze in there for the time being. When Gege comes, he will have to go back to his own home. What's the point of always staying in other people's home? "

Finished speaking, she took the book she hadn't finished reading on the way, along with needlework and sat down in the east wing. She let Ying 'er and Bai Lu take Su Yun in and out.

By the time it was half past seven, the room was finally tidied up. Su Yun said to Ying 'er, "Usually the Old Ancestor doesn't pass on meals. Everyone goes to the kitchen to get their own meals. After a while, they have to call for their own monthly allowance. It's very inconvenient.

Therefore, Jiejie and Meimei, please don't be late. This time I will take the maidservant to inform the Old Ancestor. "

Hearing this, Ying 'er went to the courtyard and called for a maidservant to follow her. She then turned around and went back to the west wing to tidy up Baochai's daily clothes.

Bai Lu had already brought the biddies back from the outer wing. She was standing in front of Baochai and replying to her.

"Replying to Miss, the gifts for the Young Ladies' Grannies, Madams, and Taitai have already been sent to them. Second Young Mistress Lian has a new Young Lady. She hasn't been named yet. Previously, we didn't know that we didn't prepare anything. Therefore, this servant took the liberty to take two small flowers and a pair of silver bracelets and sent them."

Baochai slowly turned to a page of the travel notes. She carefully looked at the drawing of the mountains and rivers on the page and said to her, "I know.

The small flowers you took were made by Ying 'er and I when we were bored on the way here? "

Bai Lu smiled as she poured a cup of tea and placed it next to Baochai's hand, "Wasn't it the two that Miss personally made?

Eldest Sister is still young. She hasn't grown her hair out yet. With just a glance, I can tell that the big flowers weren't prepared. It makes people feel uncomfortable to give gifts for no reason. "Baochai put down the book and stifled a laugh," You talk too much.

Go and rest. When Su Yun comes back with food, you can go down and eat with them. I don't need anyone to wait on me.

While you're at it, tidy up the makeup box we brought. Put away my golden lock and only leave the necklace. Who would be willing to wear it? It's so heavy. "

Bai Lu bowed with a smile and went down to tidy up. Not long after, Su Yun and the little girl came back, and they waited for Mama Su to eat dinner together.

After dinner, Ying 'er helped the young lady change into light clothes. Baochai wore soft shoes and leaned against the small table next to the couch to calculate the expenses for the next few days. The ebony abacus made a crisp clattering sound for a while, and then a tender and soft voice was heard as she ordered, "Ming' er, go and tell the housekeeper to collect the account books of the shops in the capital. Tell the outside world that we are preparing to collect the accounts in two months."

Bai Lu, who was sitting next to the incense basket and doing needlework, made a sound of acknowledgement. She had always been in charge of these kinds of matters related to accounts and money.

Mama Su only raised her head to look at the western chiming clock on the wardrobe, "Miss, it's time to rest. As a guest, you can't avoid getting up early." Baochai complied. Ying 'er brought water and helped her dry her hair, wash her face and rinse her mouth, then went to lie down and rest.

Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang's rooms were still lit.

The head maidservant, Yuan Yang, used the Beauty Fist to gently massage the matriarch's legs. Hu Po stood behind her with her head bowed and massaged her master's shoulders.

Grandmother Jia half-closed her eyes and said, "Su Yun told you everything when she came back in the afternoon. What do you think of Miss Xue?"

Yuan Yang carefully knocked on one side and said, "Replying to Old Ancestor, Miss Xue doesn't talk much. She let her two maidservants chatter away. She looks like a soft and good-natured person.

It's the mama by her side. It's said that the Zhen family helped invite her from the palace. She's quite resourceful.

That Pear Courtyard looks loose, but the inside is really like an iron bucket. Su Yun can't even get close to serve her. "

"How can a child have so many thoughts? I'm afraid that the concubine of the Xue family was afraid that the girl would suffer outside and specifically instructed her to do so.

I heard about what happened during the afternoon break. This young lady is very polite, but she's a bit pedantic.

Let's see how her luck will turn out in the future. "

The matriarch commented. She leaned toward the arhat bed and said, "In the past, you only need to see if her actions are consistent from beginning to end before you can be at ease.

It's not that I want to overthink, but the truth is that the merchant family and our Duke's family are not from the same nest.

That day, the Wang family will have to marry a daughter to the Xue family in exchange for a bribe. It's just a pity that this girl will have to suffer. I don't know how a young lady from a noble family endured these past several decades. "

As she spoke, her eyes narrowed into slits. Yuan Yang and Hu Po hastily helped her to lean on the big bed. They took off their outer overclothes and properly served her to sleep.

As for Lady Wang, she was calling a daughter-in-law by the name of 'Zhou Rui family' to calculate the account books.

It turned out that although this Ningguo fu was bustling with activity on the outside, the inside had already been gradually emptied.

Each and every one of the men was incompetent. Outside, they did not do anything important. They were like a bag of worms leaning against a tree trunk, relying on the women to manage the dowry shop. Every day, every day, the mistress of the house was thinking about how to tear down the east wall to pay the west wall.

The first wife of the first branch who inherited the title of nobility had already passed away. Now the second wife was from a small family. Normally, she was so stingy that she even wanted to dig out two taels of iron slag from a needle's eye. Therefore, Old Lady Jia disliked her for not being presentable and had no choice but to let the second daughter-in-law take charge of the household.

Zhou Rui family's daughter-in-law finished calculating the account books and presented them to Lady Wang. She held her breath and did not dare to move, for fear that she would catch her master's eye.

Lady Wang flipped through the account books, looking at the balance at the back. She frowned and did not loosen her eyebrows. "Relatives moving around is a must. Next month, someone is going to marry and have a child, which needs to be prepared early. The monks and Taoist priests in the family temple who recite scriptures for the ancestors must not be dismissed.

How much is the monthly allowance sent in from the outside? "

"Madam," Zhou Rui's daughter-in-law replied with her hands hanging down. "Didn't you give the monthly allowance sent in from the outside to Second Young Mistress Lian to release?

I'm afraid it hasn't come back yet. "

Lady Wang impatiently waved her hand and dismissed her. "Ming 'er, go and urge them early in the morning, or directly push this mess into the hands of the first branch. I'm not going to use my own dowry to subsidize these people.

Oh right, what did my niece do today? "

Zhou Ruijia hurriedly whispered in her ear for a while. Only then did Madam Wang nod her head, "I knew that the daughters of the Wang family are educated and know how to respect each other. They're not like those petty maidservants who seduce other people's children all the time.

Ming 'er, go to the kitchen and tell them to send a bottle of rose stew to Pear Courtyard. Spring is dry, so don't let the little girl cough. It's not elegant when choosing a servant. "

"The next afternoon, Sister Bao's nanny came to deliver a banknote of one thousand taels of silver. She said it was the girl's daily expenses here.

Take half of it and put it into the family's coffers. Let the old madam and that snobbish person know that the daughters of the Wang family are not freeloaders like some people. "

Lady Wang had just finished giving orders when Jin Chuan came in to report. "Master sent someone to say that he's resting in Concubine Zhao's courtyard again today. He also said that Baoyu and Baohuan brother will be sent to study at home tomorrow."

The sound of cups smashing immediately came from the temple hall. The maidservants who had just walked in to sort out the account books didn't dare to breathe loudly. After a while, Lady Wang Gang said from inside, "Tell Tanchun to come over. I'm going to recite the Buddhist scriptures tonight to accumulate blessings for the old madam. Let her copy the scriptures next to me."

Jin Chuan immediately bowed and went out to ask Tanchun. The others carefully tidied up the hall and left. Only Zhou Rui's daughter-in-law went in to help pick up a smashed white porcelain teacup. She advised, "The rabbit's tail can't grow in that courtyard. You have a Bao Er Ye under your knee. Who are you afraid of in this whole household?

Besides, when the concubine of the Xue family comes, a lot of problems will be solved. You can't hurt your body because of anger! "

Lady Wang was so angry that her chest hurt. She leaned over the table and rubbed it. "I'm not angry about this. Who does that Baohuan brother think he is? How can he be compared to my Baoyu and go to school together?

With his lowly appearance, he wants to step on my son's head. Wishful thinking!

He doesn't even know if he's cut out to study. He's like a Pan Geer. How can a prodigal son turn over a new leaf?

He's just trying to eat swan farts!