The Hairpin of the Red Chamber

After Baochai and Daiyu finished discussing, they invited Xue Pan to come first. They were not too busy talking about buying and selling the farm, but carefully analyzed the pros and cons, explaining the difficulties in the process of doing business, and finally said: "In my opinion, no matter how you do business, It's not as easy as being an official, you've been with Uncle Lin for a long time, so it can be seen that he's bothered about money? His family is so rich."

Xue Pan was soft-hearted, so he said after hearing this: "Then I'll be good at studying, and I'll take the exam to be an official in the future, and ask my mother to give me an order, and you marry a good man!"

Baochai still laughed at his bold words when he heard the first sentence, but lowered his face when he heard the last sentence, and said, "Brother, don't say that, I won't marry, so don't say that again."

Xue Pan said: "Is there any girl who doesn't marry?" He patted his forehead and said: "You think you don't like good ones, and you don't want to give up? Don't worry, when your brother and I are promising, I will find a good man for you Jun!"

Baochai put his hand on his forehead and sighed, "Don't mention this beforehand. The most urgent thing is the future of our family. Brother, since you are interested in official career, you should close the family business early, buy some fields and manors, and hoard them there. , we live on some rent for a few years, and when you become an official, brother, do you want anything?"

Xue Pan was full of ambition at the moment, so he made a great wish: "Since that's the case, I'll go to study and leave the field to my sister."

Baochai hurriedly stopped him and said, "Wait a minute, I still need you to tell Mom that you are serious about studying and sell your family business for land, otherwise, Mom won't let it go."

Xue Pan patted his chest and said, "It's all on me." Then he said, "It's just that in this way, the income of the family may decrease, and I will wrong you."

When Baochai heard that he had said such words, she became more and more delighted, she lost her eyes with a smile and said, "As long as my brother is good, what is our idea?"

When Xue Pan was excited by her, he immediately sent someone to harness the horses and came back after lunch. When he saw Baochai from a distance, he said, "Mom said yes, and asked me to bring the account book. Let the two of us have a look." , These days, I will start to count."

Then Baochai called him together, and the two of them read the big bill in the room. Xue Pan also learned from the old servants for a few days. I was impatient, so I asked someone to hold the account book, and went back to calculate by myself.

Xue Pan said that the wind is the nature of the rain, and as soon as he made a big wish to ask for an examiner, he ran to the front to study without touching the ground.Seeing that he suddenly worked harder than usual, Zhang Jing couldn't help asking, "Why is Big Brother Xue working so hard again? Don't burn yourself out."

Xue Pan said: "My family's business can't continue. My sister said to buy some land for me to study and go to school. When I become an official, I will have a way out." I like to read those unofficial historical novels, which are of no benefit to the imperial examination, I think it is better for you to get a background after all, it is better to concentrate on reading for a few days, and it will not be too late to read those after you pass the exam."

Zhang Jing said: "I became an official, so what can I do? Look at my father, he has been in office for so many years, but in the end it was nothing!"

Xue Pan hurriedly said: "That's not the case. Although your father is gone, don't you still have you? If you don't work hard to study, how can you be worthy of your Zhang family ancestors? Take a step back, if you don't study hard , as an official, how can you marry a virtuous and beautiful wife?"

Zhang Jing stared at him and said, "Brother Xue, you...are studying hard to marry a good wife, right?"

Xue Pan said awkwardly: "Of course not, I am... I want my mother and sister to work hard. As a man, I have to do something. Marrying a wife... That's just incidental, not special."

Zhang Jing was silent for a moment, then asked again: "Then if Brother Xue can choose, what kind of wife do you want? Must be beautiful?"

Xue Pan coughed, and said, "Naturally, virtue comes first, talent comes second. If you can be beautiful, that's naturally the best."

Zhang Jing said: "Then how about someone like me?"

Xue Pan said in shock: "Brother Zhang Xian, when I was ignorant, I also had such a hobby, but those were all absurd things when I was young and ignorant. "

Zhang Jing interrupted him and said, "I mean... if, for example, a woman looks like me and has similar talents, but she is also like me. It's not good...you...do you feel good?"

Xue Pan said: "Hey, if you look like you, no matter how capable you are, it's really... a blessing that I can't cultivate in eight lifetimes. It's a pity that you are not a woman."

Zhang Jing rolled his eyes for a long time, but did not speak.

Baochai got the consent of his mother and elder brother, and when he turned around, he roughly drew the few places where the price became higher in his memory, and calculated the family's money in detail. The family was not in a hurry to ask for money, and sold it slowly. The price is quite impressive, but many shopkeepers, hearing that the owner is going to sell the shop, and smelling that Xue Pan was instigating, all of them came to Aunt Xue to complain about Xue Panzhi's dishonesty and persuade her to think twice, Aunt Xue was a little reluctant to bear these things The old industry didn't have a big idea. He hesitated after hearing these persuasions. Baochai tried to persuade Xue Pan, Daiyu and Aunt Fang, and finally persuaded Aunt Xue to make up her mind. , Tearful farewell to those old buddies and old servants, Baochai took the opportunity to streamline the number of servants in the family--the Xue family sent people away once when they went to Beijing, and Baochai sent some people slowly before, and now again After all, there were only three or four old servants left in the family, and a few maids. After all, Aunt Xue felt that there were few people, so she bought a few strong male servants for the use of looking at the manor.

When Baochai was busy, Daiyu had been planning for her the fortune-telling matters that had been agreed before. Baochai saw that she was in charge, so she didn't ask. When I went to look for sellers, it was almost Chinese New Year time.

Mrs. Wang sent someone to talk about the housekeeping, and the elders on both sides agreed, so she picked a good day to take back Sanchun, Daiyu, and Baochai. The aunt was afraid that she would be tired, so she told Mrs. Wang and postponed the day. Daiyu said that she was ill. The two stayed in Lin's mansion first, and Tanchun went back to the mansion first.

When I left home, I was sad and anxious, almost like a bereaved dog. When I came back, I didn't see any better. As soon as I stepped into the garden and met Mrs. Wang, Yingchun burst into tears. , Seeing that Mrs. Wang also had a sad face, she hurriedly said: "Go to the house first and see the old lady." At the same time, she persuaded Mrs. Wang: "Mother, don't be sad. The family business is still there, and Baoyu is also promising. In the future It will definitely thrive again.”

Mrs. Wang is especially good, only Yingchun and Xichun think of their father and brother, they are still sobbing, and the servants also start crying, Tanchun raises his eyebrows, and the nanny who called the two reprimanded: "The girl is crying like this!" , and you don’t try to persuade her, it will make the old lady sad and break her body from crying, you can’t afford it!”

After hearing this, Yingchun and Xichun slowly held back their tears, and the servants also restrained their faces and stood in silence, not daring to make a sound.

When Mrs. Wang saw Tanchun's appearance, she was overjoyed and sighed at the same time. She stretched out her hand to let her support her, and said, "You are a good boy. The current state of the family depends on you."

Tanchun said respectfully, "Mother will be offended when she says this."

Mrs. Wang shook her head and said nothing more.Tanchun and Li Wan supported her, one on the left and the other on the right, and walked slowly to Jia's mother. When the grandparents met, they had to cry again. Mrs. Wang sent Yingchun and Xichun to see Jia She and Jia Rong. .

When the two arrived at the other end, Jia She sent someone out and said, "The Elder Master said that he is not as good as before, and he is not in good health, so he will disappear for now. Let the two girls abide by their women's morals and not disappoint the elders' expectations."

The two went to see Mrs. Xing again, but Mrs. Xing didn't see her either. She only said something about being diligent and thrifty to manage the family. They also saw Sister Feng, and Sister Feng also disappeared. The two girls only want to work, don't think about anything else."

Yingchun and Yingchun looked at each other, it was Xichun's nanny who pulled Xichun, Xichun tugged at Yingchun's sleeve and said, "Second sister, let's go see sister-in-law."

Yingchun nodded, and the two moved to Ningfu. The situation is not the same as before. The two of them only took a green cloth car, and the women were walking, complaining all the way. It happened that Tanchun also came to see Youshi. When passing by, he said through the curtain: "Girls haven't complained yet, it's good for you, start complaining first, do you really think that the master's family is empty?!" After hearing this, they all shut up, only Yingchun's nanny was still muttering, she didn't directly complain about Tanchun, she just pointed at Sang and scolded Huai, and said something that alluded to the pity of the old man and the old lady, and taught others to be good.