Queen of the Lin family in the Red Chamber

Staying in Jia's mansion for three months, Lin Ruhai finally took Lin Ping back to the capital two days before the New Year. Jiangnan ran all the way to the carriage in the capital, and went to Jia's mansion to pick up Wanyu and Daiyu.

Mother Jia didn't show up, and while immersed in the pain of losing her daughter, she anxiously took several doses of medicine for Yuanchun's affairs. She only told her to take good care of her three siblings, and didn't say much else.

The four members of the Lin family looked at each other. The father and son had been working together, and the two daughters were not much better. Their faces were yellow and their lips were white. Lin Ruhai sighed and said, "Go home."

The days of keeping filial piety just passed by day by day.Lin Ruhai took three months of funeral leave that day, and went to work for the court after the Chinese New Year.

Lin Ping's study was suspended. The mourning system in the previous dynasty was three years after the death of the father and one year after the death of the mother. Later, the first emperor of this dynasty changed it. With a flick of the pen, the mother's death was changed to three years.

During the three-year mourning period, in the first year, nothing could be done. The teacher hired by the Lin family for Lin Ping, and the female teacher hired by the Lin family to teach embroidery and piano arts to the two girls also went home. Words, the three siblings have nothing else to do.

Now all the housekeeper's affairs are in Wanyu's hands, and with the help of Wang Momo, she has passed smoothly.

This morning, the mother-in-law who was in charge of Shangye handed in the Shangye notebook for the second half of last year.The Lin family has strict rules and regulations. All the errands, including this night, are recorded in a special notebook. The first column records who was originally assigned to do it, the second column writes the actual workers, and there are also people who go to and from work in the second column. Time, if there is a change in the maid and mother-in-law, and why, etc., it is very detailed.

The mother-in-law handed in six thick notebooks and said, "Miss, take a look, if there is no problem, I will hand it over to the butler to seal it up."

Wan Yu had just turned two pages, when she raised her eyes and saw that the woman was still standing on the side, she had been unhappy since Jia Min's death, except for the three surnamed Lin, everyone felt an eyesore, so she said immediately: "You What are you doing in front of my eyes! Which family has such rules!"

The mother-in-law was a little perplexed, and distinguished: "Girl, this book was handed in in previous years, but I just flipped through it roughly..." She thought she would get it right away, but she didn't expect that the eldest girl turned over page by page, and the six booklets Well, it's not enough for two days if she continues to search like this, it's a waste of other people's effort.

Wanyu slapped the table and made a crisp sound, and said: "Past years? You know it's previous years! Now I want to take a closer look, you go down, and someone will call you when you're done."

The mother-in-law moved her lips, but no sound came out, and Fu Fu got down.As soon as she got out of Wanyu's courtyard, she saw Wang Momo coming in, the mother-in-law hurriedly pulled Wang Momo to tell what happened just now, originally she wanted to ask Wang Momo to persuade the girl, but unexpectedly Wang Momo said: "The lady has gone, the girl is already sad, and she can't breathe out, why are you rushing to be awkward with her?"

The mother-in-law stopped talking now, and whispered for a while: "I don't want to talk to the girl either... She is the master and I am a servant, but I just want to... cough... I will go back and wait."

Wanyu lost her temper a little, and felt a little better. She didn't really want to read this book. Although she flipped through it slowly, she didn't take a single word into her head. Let her repeat it now. She herself didn't know what she just saw.

But seeing Wang Momo's understanding expression, she felt a little embarrassed, and said, "I'll take another look, and send it to her after I finish."

Wang Momo smiled, ordered Wanyu to exchange for new tea, and stopped talking.

It was an unintentional act to read the book just now, but now I read it in detail page by page. After half an hour passed, Wanyu raised her head, with a trace of panic in her eyes, which can't be noticed unless she looks carefully.She said: "Nurse Wang, let them call..." She looked down at the notebook again, and said, "The family from Qian Bai's family, Gao Yi's family, and Li Shun's family are here. When my wife is sick, they are the three of them." Last night, I... thank them."

Nanny Wang sighed, Madam has been gone for almost a year, it's not a good thing for the girl to keep pestering her like this.But today's reason made her unable to say a word of objection, so she had to go to the yard to call someone.

Unexpectedly, as soon as she raised her foot, Wanyu said again: "Forget it, it's already this hour today, let's talk about it tomorrow, and let me think about it, what should I reward them for?"

Nanny Wang nodded in agreement, Wanyu said again: "Mommy can't let the news out, otherwise they have expectations in their hearts, and they won't like what I reward tomorrow."

When Wang Momo went out, Wanyu immediately changed her expression. She hurriedly jumped down from the beauty couch where she usually sits and lay down, put a few booklets on the table and quickly flipped through them. Among the three people, two of them were It's a piggyback, only one from Gao Yi's family, she has a problem!

Most of the mothers-in-law in the family are illiterate, so Shangye's book is basically handprinted, and the housekeeper who assigns the task fills in the name, no one else, only the handprint of Gao Yi's family, which is different from front to back!

The old woman in the previous night did rough work, so her hands were naturally not very thin, her fingerprints were thick and big, and there were traces of calluses on them, and there were even occasional broken skin on her fingers. The full print is up, but this Gao Yi’s family, or Gao Yi’s family who went to the night when Jia Min was sick, her hands are very thin, Wanyu used her index finger to go up, the lines are not as fine as her own , but compared with the handprints of the women next to her, there is still a gap.

Can't wait until tomorrow, Wanyu pushed the table and stood up, she has to call someone now, what if she runs away, what if...

But... what if you startle the snake?Wanyu couldn't make up her mind for a while, and now she doesn't have much evidence in hand, if there is someone behind Gao Yi's family, if she is impulsive, the rest of the matter will be difficult.

A dinner was tasteless, and she had a dream all night. When Wanyu got up in the morning, she ordered someone to take a few bolts of fabric in the warehouse, and took three five taels of silver, and told Madam Wang Go and call the three people she wanted to see yesterday.

These three wives are all in their 40s and [-]s, not to mention the other two, Gao Yi's family, which Wanyu focuses on, looks honest and honest, with a round face, but...

Wan Yu forced a smile, and said: "You guys did a good job, I... didn't care about it a few days ago, so why don't we award it together today."

The three women all smiled happily after receiving the things, kowtowed to Wanyu before standing up.

Nanny Wang took them down to collect things, and returned with the fingerprints of the three of them after a short while. You also need a certificate to get things. In this era when the literacy rate does not exceed [-]%, fingerprints are like signatures, and they are very commonly used.

How can Wanyu match Gao Yi's family's handprint with the booklet?The front and the present are one person, and the one in the middle is another.Wanyu looked at it again, making sure that she read it correctly, so she took the things and went to find Lin Ruhai.

"Father." Wanyu knelt on the ground, "Mother was seriously ill that day, and the inner courtyard was loose, but she didn't want anyone to take advantage of her. My daughter can only find out so much, and there are many things behind it. I only hope that father can make decisions for mother..." Wanyu cried out.

Lin Ruhai's eyes were red with anger, and he ordered people to check the identity of Gao Yi's family, and at the same time sent people to lock up the whole family, and brought Gao Yi's family here for questioning in person.

Seeing Lin Ruhai, Gao Yi's family looked a little flustered, gritted their teeth and pretended to be calm, and said, "I don't know what the master has ordered."

Wanyu threw a few handprints in front of her, and said: "You are capable. Although I have limited experience, I also know that handprints will not change. Tell me, who was the one who stayed at night for two days?"

The flustered expression of Gao Yi's family seemed to relax suddenly when he heard this, and said: "Master and Miss, I found out that I had a bad stomach in those two days, so I begged Wang Qing's family to sleep for me. Wang Qing's family is two of us. Personally, fingerprints are naturally different."

"Then why don't you write it clearly in the brochure?" Wanyu asked.

"Girl, this happens often. If you don't get a job, you have to deduct the monthly money, so most of us do this." Gao Yi's family explained calmly.

"You're talking nonsense!" Wanyu said angrily, "You are the only one with different handprints on the book!"

At this moment, Lin Ruhai's servant arrived and handed Lin Ruhai the identity deed of Gao Yi's family, and Lin Ruhai asked him to get the identity deed of Wang Qing's family, and said seriously: "Wang Qing's? There are few things in the yard now, Do you want to carry it for her?"

Gao Yi's family kowtowed, and hurriedly said: "Master Mingjian, I was originally from the Rongguo Mansion, and I came here alone as a dowry with my wife. I am loyal to my wife, so it must be from Wang Qing's family... Her hands and feet are not clean! No wonder she redeemed herself after the new year!"

Redeemed!Wanyu was startled, there must be something tricky in it!

Naturally, Wang Qing's family's deeds cannot be obtained. The servant brought a reply from the housekeeper. Wang Qing signed a 15-year long-term job, and he and Wang Qing's family worked together in the Lin Mansion. Although the deed was only 13 years old last year, but He increased the money for the redemption by [-]%, and said that the old father at home had no one to take care of him, and the housekeeper understood him for working hard for more than ten years, so he let him go.

15 years? Fifteen years ago, Lin Ruhai was still working in Beijing. He had just entered Yushitai as a supervisory censor. If Wang Qing's family was really arranged by someone else, who had such a long hand, and who was able to start the layout 15 years ago.

Lin Ruhai sighed, and said: "There are a lot of doubts and implications here, so I have to investigate carefully." He thought for a while, and then said: "Let's say that your wife lost something in the yard..."

Wanyu nodded and said firmly: "Father, don't worry, those who don't sign the death contract will be cleared out, and those who are not in my family will be cleared out too!"

The following days were a bit bloody for the servants of the Lin family. There were originally five or six hundred servants in total, but they were sold for no less than two hundred. Gao Yi’s family is still locked in the woodshed. day.

Don't say that no one stood up for them, and they didn't go out if they wanted to. Don't forget that Lin Ruhai is now a cabinet scholar, and he can control everything. Even if he is in the trial of Dali Temple, he can't do it, let alone his own family. I'm down.

It wasn't until Jia Min's first anniversary, when Wan Yu sold the last batch of servants in the name of praying for blessings, that this matter was temporarily over, but the follow-up progress made Wan Yu more and more sure that Jia Min was probably harmed by others.

Wang Qing's family could not be found, their origins were gone, and Ren Yazi, who sold his couple that day, disappeared without a trace. This clue seemed to be broken just like that.

"Investigate! Continue to investigate!" Wanyu looked at Lin Ruhai and said firmly: "There is no impenetrable wall in this world. As long as you investigate, you will definitely gain something."

Lin Ruhai nodded. Although he didn't tell his daughter clearly, he still had a few suspects in his mind. Just like what he told Wanyu that day, there were many doubts. What did they do to Jia Min?When he was patrolling the imperial censor, he had experienced a few open and dark arrows, but Jia Min was at best a housewife, even if she came out of the Duke's Mansion, she was still a Duke's Mansion that was already in decline, with limited energy and ability to call the shots. There are very few things, or they want to harm him, but Jia Min blocks it.And the 15-year layout is not something ordinary people can make.

Check, keep checking, everything is possible until you get the exact news.

On the seventh day of September, Jia Min's first birthday, Lin Ruhai completely got rid of clothes, and the three Wanyu siblings also changed from coarse cloth clothes to plain clothes. Although there are still two years of filial piety, the rules behind are compared to those in the first year. Said to be much more relaxed.

For example, the teacher can be invited back home, and the three of them can go out. Although they still can't go to wedding banquets and other festive places, they can usually go to nunneries and the like.

So in mid-September, Wanyu packed up her things a little, and took Daiyu to Guanyin Nunnery.

Everything in Guanyin Nunnery was still as usual, the round-faced master Lianyin was still smiling, and after seeing Daiyu, he said a few more words, such as "This child looks good, he is a blessed person."

Wanyu came to Guanyin Nunnery first, because she also wanted to see the land under her name. She didn't come last year, so the harvest was naturally not good. Now in September, there is still half a month before the harvest, so try your best. Might as well go up another liter.And this time, she not only intends to tamper with her own field, but also plans to urge the surrounding fields.

Master Lianyin accompanied her around the back mountain, and when Wanyu told her that this year's harvest must be good, she laughed so hard that even her eyes narrowed.

After going around the mountain twice, Master Lianyin suddenly lowered his voice, and said nonchalantly, "The empress... seems to be the crown prince... Layman, pay more attention."

Wanyu paused for a while, and then heard Master Lianyin say that she hadn't been in the palace for almost three months.Wanyu nodded, thinking that she was still in the period of filial piety, so it would be fine to go to the nunnery, but in the palace, the emperors and empresses all taboo about this, so she probably won't be able to go for a while.

Even so, I still have to thank Master Lianyin for his reminder.She and Master Lianyin are in a state of bondage to the queen, and to some extent it can be regarded as a relationship in which both are prosperous and both are prosperous.Master Lianyin took advantage of her to be more important in the Queen's heart, and Wanyu was able to enter the palace once a month, and she followed Master Lianyin in the name of offering sacrifices.

However, Master Lianyin's reminder seemed to come a bit late, the prince rebelled against him that night.