Red Mansion Rebirth: Ghost Phoenix

Four years later, Ping'er had grown into a graceful young lady with a gentle smile and graceful movements.

He walked forward with a smile and put a small and exquisite gold ingot weighing two taels in the hands of each of the eight servants, without any partiality.

The eight people were immediately overjoyed and kowtowed to Madam Yuan in unison: "Thank you, Master and Madam, for the reward!"

"Yes! Yes!" Madam Yuan smiled and nodded, her eyes were bright and her words were eloquent, "My job is the easiest!

"Just be obedient and diligent!

"I love eating, playing and shopping. Anything I bring back that I can't use will be given to you!

"As for my master and my little daughter, they are not in good health and cannot stand tiredness, dirt, or noise.

"If you have any problems, just come to me and avoid them! Otherwise, if you are punished for no reason, you will deserve it!"

As he said this, he laughed heartily.

Everyone laughed along, but took note of what he said.

"The front yard is used as a study and living room for our master, and the middle yard is mine. The garden at the back is all our daughter's.

"Okay, that's all, go move your luggage!"

Mrs. Yuan finished her words neatly, waved her hand, and asked everyone to disperse. She turned around and gently hugged her little daughter in her arms. Her voice instantly dropped by half:

"Hey dear, are you tired? Are you dizzy? Do you want to lie down?"

Little girl Keqing shook her head and smiled softly, "I slept too much on the boat, and I feel stiff. I just want to walk around and stand for a while."

Madam Yuan nodded immediately: "That's right! Me too!"

He turned around and asked the servants who had not yet walked out of the door, "Stand!"

Everyone hurriedly stopped again, turned around and bowed their heads: "Please give your orders, Madam."

"We haven't been to Beijing for several years. I wonder which restaurant has the best food right now? My girl wants to go shopping. I'll take her to a restaurant!"

After saying that, Madam Yuan belatedly looked at Wang Zifu, "Master, is this ok?"

What else could Wang Zifu say? He could only nod helplessly: "Okay. Going for a walk on the street is not bad."

A servant stepped forward and saluted: "There are two time-honored restaurants on Gulou East Street. One serves Shandong cuisine, called Quanfuxiang; the other serves Huaiyang cuisine, called Chunshuiju. Both are good.

"If the master and his wife don't want to take a car and just want to walk, we can go west to the end of this street and turn left. There is a very good noodle restaurant opposite Xingtian Temple.

"If you go out of the alley and head east, you will see a large area of ​​Da'an Guo Temple. The vegetarian food there is the best, but there are many people and you have to wait. So the small restaurants next door also serve vegetarian food, which is pretty good.

"If you don't mind the distance, walk to the southwest corner of our block. Over there is Zuojiaofang, which is even more lively. There are all kinds of food, entertainment, singing and dancing -"

Suddenly he glanced at the little girl's curious eyes and lowered his head quickly, "But the master and his wife still want to take the girl out, so that place is not very suitable."

Madam Yuan smiled and nodded: "You explained it clearly. Good. I'll give you a reward."

Ping'er then conveniently handed him a small silver ingot.

The servant happily took it with both hands and put it in his arms.

"What's your name?" Mrs. Yuan looked at him with interest.

The servant kowtowed and said, "My surname is Fang, I am the second child in the family, I don't have a name, everyone calls me Fang Er."

"Well, you are good. Follow the master outside from now on." Madam Yuan made the decision immediately and promoted him from sweeping the outer courtyard to being Wang Zifu's long-time attendant.

Wang Zifu was indifferent and just asked the butler Wang Chang and the servant Wang Sheng to explain his rules to Fang Er.

This time when she went to the capital, Mrs. Yuan brought with her a housekeeper, Yuan Baojia, and her two maids, Zhenzhu and Feicui.

The little girl, whose original name was Qin Keqing and now changed her name to Wang Xuanhe, came with her nanny Wang Ma, and her maids Ping'er and Feng'er.

At that moment, Wang Zifu took Fang Er and Wang Sheng, Madam Yuan took Zhenzhu, and Wang Xuanhe took Ping'er - the others stayed at home to pack their luggage - and they walked to the nearby Xingtian Temple.

They ate a bowl of noodles first, and then went into the Xingtian Temple to burn incense and kowtow. Mrs. Yuan also lit a sea lantern as a token of her respect and paid two hundred silver coins first. The temple master couldn't help but come over and exchange a few words with a smile.

Wang Zifu glanced at the abbot for a few times, without saying anything, and just walked out without saying a word.

Seeing this, Fang Er asked Wang Sheng in a low voice: "Master, are you unhappy?"

"The master hated monks and Taoist priests the most in his life, saying that they pretended to be gods and cheated people of their money. But the wife was happy to give money to these people. The master said countless times but she would not listen, so he just let her do it.

"I just want the master to talk to them. Amitabha, even an iron awl can't pry open his mouth!"

Wang Sheng chewed his tongue quietly, and hurriedly pulled Fang Er to chase after him.

Fang Er then smiled: "It's rare to see someone who doesn't like this tune."

"Our master also believed in it in the early years. I heard that he believed in it too much and made mistakes. That's why he stopped believing in it later." Wang Sheng said the last sentence and waved his hands, refusing to say any more.

After they finished their tour and returned home, everyone felt tired and went back to their tidied rooms to rest.

Before going to bed, Mrs. Yuan instructed her housekeeper daughter-in-law to order the owners of all her dowry shops in Beijing to come home at the beginning of the evening to report their accounts.

This mansion with the name "Wang's Residence" suddenly became lively. That night, the lights were not turned off until after the second watch.

Early the next morning, Mrs. Yuan was ready to go out for a walk.

Wang Zifu sighed and stopped her: "Don't you know your own daughter?

"If she had known we were coming yesterday, she would have found a way to meet us today.

"If you go out now, you won't be back until the afternoon. Do you want your daughter to wait anxiously?"

Madam Yuan was also anxious: "I know! That's why I have to rush out to buy her some good things to send in!

"I came from Jiangnan with a small group and didn't bring anything with me.

"Should I just bring this box of banknotes to her and bring them to the palace?"

"Huh?! It's not impossible!"

Suddenly she figured it out, and Mrs. Yuan clapped her hands and laughed, "My daughter follows me, and actually prefers to ask for money. That's it!"

Wang Xuanhe smiled and pulled Madam Yuan: "Mother, if my sister lets us enter the palace, can I bring Ping'er with me? My sister will definitely miss her!"

Mrs. Yuan then looked at Ping'er.

It was not easy to return to the capital. Ping'er did not sleep the whole night. She was excited and sad. She cried for most of the night and now both of her eyes are swollen.

"You are now the Second Young Lady's maid, so concentrate on serving her.

"As for the Imperial Concubine, I will naturally take you to see her and reminisce about the past."

Mrs. Yuan looked at Ping'er with a smile.

Ping'er's eyes were red again, she choked with sobs and knelt down, saying: "Since Madam has given me to the Second Young Lady, I will naturally serve you for the rest of my life.

“When I think of the grievances that the eldest girl suffered at home, I can’t help but feel extremely sad.

"Moreover, I later heard that the eldest lady had been confined to the palace for three years and had never left that small palace, and I felt even more ashamed that I had not been with her through thick and thin.

"Now, if I could see the young lady in person and confirm that she is indeed living a very good life, I would be relieved..."

As he spoke, tears fell like rain.

Mrs. Yuan's eyes also turned red.

Wang Xuanhe stepped forward and gently embraced Madam Yuan's arm, whispering to comfort her: "Mother, don't listen to Sister Ping'er...

“Didn’t father tell us how heroic my elder sister is?

“Besides, it only took my elder sister a few months to go from being a concubine for three years to being the Crown Prince’s Consort and then the only Imperial Concubine.

"She has a bright future..."

The words became softer and softer, and the last sentence was like scattered in the wind, blowing only into the ears of Mrs. Yuan.

Madam Yuan patted her hands with satisfaction and nodded, saying, "Thank you for your kind words."

Wang Zifu coughed and stood up: "I'll go to the study. Please help me pick out two suitable clothes and send them over.

"You ladies should pack up and get ready, who knows, hmm..."

Seeing her husband turn around and walk away in the middle of his words, Mrs. Yuan glared at his back and complained in a low voice:

"You never want to finish what you're saying!"

Then she put him out of her mind and went to pick out clothes for her family of three.

As Wang Zifu expected, before noon, An'er and Jingli had already arrived outside the mansion!

When she heard that it was An'er coming, Mrs. Yuan's eyes were hot again. She ordered with a sour nose to invite him in quickly. She, Wang Xuanhe and Ping'er dressed neatly and went to the middle door of the front yard and the reception room to greet him.

Wang Zifu also hurried over.

As soon as the two sides met, An'er's tears fell first, and she choked with sobs and couldn't utter a single complete word.

Jing Li sighed, and had no choice but to step forward, stand facing south, and announce in a loud voice: "In compliance with the Queen's order, the Imperial Concubine's family members are to enter the palace to meet the Queen!"

Wang Zifu and others knelt down to listen to the order, and were slightly stunned when they heard the words.

Jing Li continued, "The Imperial Concubine has ordered that Master Wang, Madam Yuan, and Miss Wang should all enter the palace together."

The family of three happily accepted the imperial edict and expressed their gratitude.

After the state ceremony, An'er cried and went forward to kowtow to Wang Zifu and Madam Yuan. Madam Yuan hurriedly ordered Ping'er to hold her back and thanked her for taking care of Wang Xifeng in the palace.

"Master and Madam, please allow me to report that the Imperial Concubine heard the news last night and did not sleep well the whole night. She went to ask for the Queen's permission at five o'clock in the morning and sent a servant to take you to the palace.

"The Imperial Concubine has told me not to hand you three over to anyone else, and that I must personally accompany you into the Yinyu Palace.

"The imperial concubine has already ordered to keep the master, his wife, and the second young lady for lunch, and told me and you not to be too anxious and take your time."

An'er held Ping'er's hand tightly, and after saying this, she asked, "You must have been exhausted from the long journey, I wonder if the master and his wife have had a good rest.

"But the Imperial Concubine is so eager to see you, so I have to ask you to accommodate her for a while. Now, please follow me into the palace."

Wang Zifu hummed modestly and stood up impatiently.

Madam Yuan also pulled Wang Xuanhe and said, "Let's go. We are all fine, we can go now!"

An'er smiled and nodded with tears in her eyes: "Yes! Okay! Master, Madam, Second Miss, please come this way!"

But she never let go of Ping'er, pulling her and whispering, "The imperial concubine specifically told me that if my sister comes, I must bring her to the palace to let her see her!"

Ping'er breathed a sigh of relief, and tears started falling again.