[Red Mansion] The third master of jade-like stone treasures

What is the emperor thinking?

Jiang Lu, the former imperial eunuch who was still guarding the door of the imperial study room at Zishi, also wanted to know!

He took a peek inside, and saw his godfather Zhang Fu, Eunuch Zhang, bent over as always, standing in the corner behind Emperor Zhao, five steps away, neither far nor near.

His whole body was shrouded in darkness, Emperor Zhao didn't want to pay attention to him, he was an invisible person.If Emperor Zhao wanted to ask questions, he only needed to lower his upper body half an inch, and the person appeared in the candlelight.

Emperor Zhao was looking at a big character on the wall, which read "Water can carry a boat, but it can also overturn it".

There is no seal on it, and there is no small print of the writer.

Only Zhang Fu knew that this calligraphy was written by Lin Ruhai 20 years ago and given to Emperor Zhao.

"Ah!" Emperor Zhao sighed deeply, "Think of the many young talents in my Great Zhou Dynasty, you must take a fancy to that one as your son-in-law."

Zhang Fu is like a woodcarving, trying to pretend that he doesn't exist.

"Alas!" Emperor Zhao sighed deeply again, "Parents love their sons, and they have far-reaching plans for them."

"Your last plan even counts on me. It's not too much for me to teach your son-in-law for you, right?"

Zhang Fu's throat was a little itchy, and he wanted to cough, but he tried his best to hold it back.

Emperor Zhao was immersed in his own thoughts, expressing emotion, he must not disappoint at this time.

"Alas!" Emperor Zhao sighed deeply again.

Zhang Fu thought Emperor Zhao would say something again, but he didn't wait for the next word for a long time.

It seems that today's share is over with emotion.

"Let's go!"

After a long time, Emperor Zhao stepped out of the imperial study.

Zhang Fu hurriedly followed with a group of palace servants, waiting for him to sit on the dragon chariot.

"Your Majesty, where do you want to rest tonight?" Zhang Fu asked for instructions, nodding and bowing.

Emperor Zhao thought for a while and said, "Fengzao Palace."

The dragon chariot got up and walked a few steps, but Emperor Zhao suddenly said: "Let's go to the queen."

"Hey!" Zhang Fu responded, and quickly waved his hands to signal everyone: "Turn around, go to Jingren Palace!"

The next day is the Mid-Autumn Festival.

The Jia family was busy preparing food and wine, and set up two large tables in the pavilion of the Grand View Garden. The family sat down to eat and watch the moon.

Jia Zheng and Jia She led the men to a table, Jia Mu led the daughter-in-law and girls to a table, and even Aunt Xue invited them to celebrate the festival together.

Baoyu and Baocong were originally sitting at Jia Zheng's table, but when Jia's mother saw such a lively festival, she asked them to come and sit at her table, joking with her sisters.

The table in Jia's house is large, and it is not crowded when more than a dozen people sit together.

It's just that a few big dishes are placed in the middle of the big table, and everyone is observing the etiquette and can't stand up to pick up the dishes. It's a bit uncomfortable to eat a meal.

Bao Cong saw that Lin Daiyu stopped after eating a few chopsticks of shrimps, so he whispered to her: "This big table is really useless! I have seen a table that is bigger than this one, one big, one small, two There are round tabletops stacked on top of each other, and a mechanism that can turn around is installed in the middle, so the tabletop above can be rotated."

"With a table like that, put all the dishes and plates on the edge of the round table, and whoever wants to eat a dish can just turn the round table on top, how convenient it is!"

Lin Daiyu hadn't spoken yet, but Baoyu heard it, and first leaned over and whispered, "That's interesting, where did you see it?"

The sisters naturally heard it too, and asked Bao Cong in a low voice what kind of table was that?Guess how the mechanism is made and installed, so that it can support such a large table.

Bao Cong was talking in detail, but Jia Mu asked first: "What jokes are you muttering about? Tell us too, let's have a good time together!"

Tanchun described the big table that Baocong said just now, and showed it to Jia Mu and others.

Sister Feng was busy calling the girls to serve the dishes, and upon hearing the words, she answered: "This table sounds new, I have never seen it before. Brother Baocong told me in detail tomorrow, and I will ask someone to make one for you." Let it go, it’s not safe, it will be used someday!”

Jia Mu then said: "This kind of fresh table can be used for ordinary use. If there is a big occasion, this kind of fresh table is a novelty. It is not appropriate to use it for big occasions."

Mrs. Wang and Mrs. Xing agreed again and again, saying yes.

Xichun smiled and teased Baocong: "You don't stay here anymore. You know so much about these organs and jade." He also mentioned the jade bonsai that Baocong presented to the palace the day before yesterday, and asked, "What do you think? who made that thing?"

Tanchun was also very interested, and asked Baocong, "I also want to know, how did you do it? How did you think of putting a bronze mirror under that pond?"

Baoyu also smiled and boasted: "I like that one the most. Originally, there were only fish, flowers and plants carved in jade. Once the water was poured in, the bronze mirror was set against the bottom. The water surface was shimmering, and the fish and aquatic plants inside were like It's like living!"

Baocong's original plan was to use wood and jade to make the bonsai.It's just that the jade he carved has various effects.

The bonsai is a birthday gift, and inside it is a word for longevity, and there are peaches for longevity, with so many health bonuses, Bao Cong is afraid that the emperor will live for decades and become an old goblin!

So he thought for a long time before he came up with the idea of ​​embedding a bronze mirror in the base, and engraving some water plants and the shadow of the moon in the pond. It is precisely by using the words "mirror flower, water moon" that the effect of the bonsai is offset.

But when he explained to everyone in Jia's house, he just smiled and said: "I only use jade. I was afraid that the water in the pond would become stagnant and unsightly, so I put a bronze mirror. The bronze mirror can reflect shadows, and there is water in the pond. It’s deep and like running water, which looks better.”

After hearing the explanation, everyone praised Bao Cong again, praising him for his ingenuity.

Ingenuity... seems to be a compliment to girls...

Bao Cong hehehe a few times in his heart, and calmly accepted the compliment.

After eating, the maids removed the big table and brought in several small square tables, where they put melon and fruit moon cakes and teacups.

Mrs. Wang and Mrs. Wang talked around Jiamu, while Lin Daiyu, Baochai and Sanchun Li Wan got together and said they wanted to write poems.

Baoyu was so excited that he also leaned over to participate, and pulled Baocong together.

Bao Cong seldom participated in this kind of poetry writing activities, but everyone was in high spirits, so he didn't want to disturb everyone's interest, so he just smiled and said: "With me here, you don't have to worry about being the bottom one."

The sisters laughed when they heard this, and Baoyu patted Baocong's shoulder happily, saying: "That's exactly what I mean. If you come, I won't be at the bottom."

Tanchun said narrowly: "Brother Baoyu, it's wasted all his efforts. Don't you get second to last, and everyone doesn't know that your poems are not good?"

When everyone heard this, they laughed again, making two jokes with treasures, jades and treasures.

After laughing enough, several people dispersed to conceive independently.

Bao Cong followed Lin Daiyu like a little tail, but Lin Daiyu pushed him away: "What are you following me for? Do you want me to compose a little poem for you to play with your sisters?"

This is a joke about his inability to write good poems when Yuanchun came back to visit his relatives.

After saying that, Lin Daiyu took Xichun to the lake to enjoy the moon.

Bao Cong was thrown on the spot, so he could only smile, turned around awkwardly, and raised his feet to go to the lake from the other side, intending to meet Lin Daiyu later.

Unexpectedly, he just happened to see Yingchun being bumped by the girls, staining her dress.

The little girl knelt on the ground to apologize, Yingchun didn't even blame her, she just gently woke her up and let her go.

Bao Cong went over to ask what happened to Yingchun?

Yingchun said: "It's just that the little girl bumped into it, it's all right."

She held the dress, looked at the dirty stains on the skirt, and frowned.

There is a large piece of wet on it, as well as oil and sauce, not to mention covering up the traces, even if you smell it, you can smell it.

Bao Cong looked at the shame, so he said to Yingchun: "Where is your girl? Tell her to bring a dress, you can change it?"

Yingchun shook her head, "It's Mid-Autumn Festival today, Siqi asked her family to take her back for the festival."

Bao Cong asked again: "What about the other girls?"

Yingchun didn't answer this time, but just shook her head and said, "It's very convenient for me to go back and change myself."

It was already night at this time, and lanterns were lit everywhere in the Grand View Garden, but because of the festival, the servants were not very restrained, and went to play in twos and threes everywhere.

Even though he was at home, Bao Cong didn't want Yingchun to walk alone at night, so he casually took a small lantern from the porch and said to Yingchun, "I'll go there with you."

Yingchun has always been soft-tempered, and even if others bully her, she can bear it a little bit. Now that Bao Cong is considerate of her, she feels a little uncomfortable, so she hastily declined: "No, you can just play here. I'll just go back by myself."

Bao Cong refused to obey, just carried the lantern, walked in front to lead the way, and said: "Second sister, come quickly, let's go early and return early, it will take a while for them to write poems!"

Yingchun couldn't do anything, so she had to go back to Zhuijinlou where she lived with Baocong.

There were many lanterns hung on the corridors inside and outside the Jin Building, but the room was pitch-black, with not a single candle lit.

Yingchun took Baocong into the living room, skillfully found a fire book and lit the candles.

"You sit here, I'll be out soon." Saying that, Yingchun went back to the room to change clothes.

Bao Cong looked around and called out a few more times, but there was no girl or woman who answered.

Yingchun changed her clothes and came out, seeing Bao Cong looking for the little girls, she explained: "Today is the holiday, they may all have gone to play in the garden."

Bao Cong shook his head, and said angrily: "Such a big Zhuijin Tower, can't there be no one on duty? You don't even look at the candlelight, you come back, and you don't even have a waiter, is it plausible?"

"Tomorrow, I will tell my ancestors and Sister Feng to go, and tell them to punish these girls properly!"

Yingchun heard this, but quickly stopped and said: "One more thing is worse than one less thing. I'm fine. Why should the girls be punished?"

After hearing this, Bao Cong disagreed, saying: "You are just too good-tempered! Are you a young lady, or are these girls young ladies?"

"They didn't serve you well, so they should have been punished, but you still shirked their guilt for them? It's because you indulged them like this, that they became more and more casual and ran wild on your head!"

"I, I didn't want to indulge them..." Yingchun's mosquito-like voice explained, "They're fine on weekdays, just occasionally..."

Seeing Yingchun like this, Bao Cong didn't understand, sighed, and said directly: "Second sister, if you live in your own home, you will be bullied by servants, and if you marry into someone else's house, if your mother-in-law and husband bully you, servants will bully you." You can't control it, what can you do?"

"Could it be that you just endure and endure until you can't bear it anymore and die?"

Unexpectedly, as soon as he said this, Yingchun was told to cry.

"W-Where has it reached this level? I-I just don't want to be troublesome..." Yingchun choked up.

Bao Cong also knew that he spoke too loudly, and Ying Chun didn't know that he would really lose his life because of it, so he softly persuaded: "Even though it's a girl's family, you can't be too good-tempered. After all, it's Miss Qianjin. You Let's learn the temper of Sister Feng and Sister Tanchun!"

Yingchun sighed, held back tears, and said: "How can I compare with them? I lost my mother, and my father didn't care about me, only my ancestors took pity on me. They have fathers and mothers, so they are naturally tough. "

After hearing this, Bao Cong sighed as he thought of Yingchun's life experience.

Wang Xifeng was spoiled since she was a child. Although Tanchun was a concubine, her mother was doted on by Jia Zheng. Mrs. Wang was not harsh on the concubine, and with Jia's mother taking care of her, she naturally had a straight back.

Yingchun's stepmother, Mrs. Xing, is petty and ignorant. It's better not to have her own father, Jia She, who treats her worse than Mrs. Xing.

Although Jia Lian is her older brother, after marrying Wang Xifeng, he has always been close to the second wife and doesn't care about her affairs at all.

Although Jia's mother felt sorry for Yingchun, she had two precious grandchildren in her eyes, and Lin Daiyu, Jia Lian, Sister Feng and others. Yingchun's silent temperament received very little attention...

Otherwise, how could Yingchun develop such a cowardly temperament?

It's all because it seems to have a home, but in fact it has no home.

Bao Cong didn't want to be self-righteous and lecture Yingchun anymore, so he coaxed her back to the pavilion by the lake and played with her sisters.

Everyone's poems have been obtained, and they are writing out one by one with a pen, ink, paper and inkstone.

Yingchun came and went again and again, and did not delay writing poems. As soon as I arrived at the pavilion, I had a poem. Surrounded by everyone, I went forward to write it down.

After several people's poems have been written, everyone evaluates them one by one. After reading Baoyu's poems, they laugh and say, "Today is Baoyu's worst!"

Unconvinced, Baoyu became anxious, "Why is it my worst? What about Baocong's?"

Only then did a few people think of Bao Cong, and when they looked for it in the poems, how could there be Bao Cong's poems?

Then I looked around for Baocong, but I saw that he didn't write any poems. He was at Jiamu's side, and he was talking to Sister Feng!

Tanchun hurriedly said: "This man must be hiding there again writing poems! Watch me catch him back!"

Bao Cong didn't write poems once or twice. Lin Daiyu stopped Tanchun and said, "What are you busy with? It will be dawn when we wait for him to write poems."

"Why don't you ask him tomorrow, and if he doesn't get it tomorrow, you can punish him as a host. How about treating us?"

Baochai smiled and said, "That's a good idea! We can have another good meal. Tomorrow I want to eat well again, so I'll ask Baocong to compose poems."

After hearing this, everyone clapped their hands happily, and stopped looking for Bao Cong, and started discussing why Bao Cong should treat guests.

On Baocong's side, he was talking to Sister Feng and Mother Jia about welcoming the Spring Festival.

"I saw Sister Feng, she is indeed a hero among daughters, she can understand big and small things clearly."

He didn't directly say that Yingchun's character is too cowardly, but said euphemistically: "Old ancestor, I think Sister Feng came to our house at the same age as the sisters. Although I am young, I still remember some things from the past."

"I feel that Sister Feng knows everything, and she doesn't need to be taught much. She is a very good housekeeper. If Sister Yingchun and the others are called housekeepers, let alone such a big family, even a small family will be in a mess."

He casually said to Sister Feng: "Sister Feng is so powerful, teach them too?"

Hearing Bao Cong's "unintentional" words, everyone suddenly felt a little bit in their hearts, remembering that now Yingchun and the others have also reached the age where they are about to get married.

The girls have learned needlework at home since childhood, read books, wrote poems, painted paintings, played the piano, all of them are talented women, but only housekeepers, which must be learned after marriage, have not been contaminated at all.

Jia Mu was thoughtful, smiled and said to Wang Xifeng: "It is also time to teach them how to know the daily necessities, Feng Lazi, if you have time, teach them how to house the house."

Wang Xifeng wants to be strong, and she won't let go of the power in her hands.

But Jia Mu said so, and she couldn't refuse, so she smiled and said: "If the girls can help me, then I can relax, and I don't have to get up early and go to bed late, and I am as busy as a spinning top." Already!"

She again complained to Jia Mu, saying: "It's just that I'm young and don't know how to manage the house. I usually rely on the second wife's advice to make a big mistake. Now I want to take the girls to house the house together. I only look forward to my ancestors. Just don’t blame me for teaching a bunch of chili peppers in the future!”

When Jiamu heard this, she laughed loudly and said, "It's only because you can teach me a bunch of chili peppers! I just love your hot temper!"

So they chatted and laughed around Jia Mu again, which made Jia Mu happy all night.

The next day, Wang Xifeng got up, thought about what happened last night, and complained to Ping'er again: "Now I am tired enough to do things at home, and I have to teach a few girls to be housekeepers, which is just another big job. !"

She didn't want to delegate power at first, but after thinking about it last night, can Yingchun and the housekeepers really take care of any important matters?It's just pretending to let them know what the housekeeper is all about!

Wouldn't it be cheap to win the favor of the ancestors, and when the girls married off, they would also have a share of the credit for her teaching, earning a reputation for nothing?

So, she negotiated peacefully again, settled a few unimportant matters, and assigned them to Yingchun.

They said they were in charge, but in fact they had to go back and forth to Wang Xifeng, and they were just passing by.

Bao Cong's original intention was to let Yingchun and the others understand more about housekeeping. It would be good to learn some pungent temper from Wang Xifeng, and how to suppress servants.

Don't worry about Tanchun, wherever she marries, as long as the Jia family stays alive, she can live well.Xichun is still young, her temper is uncertain, and she is not too busy worrying.

Only Yingchun, who has a cowardly personality and is about to get married, has the most headaches.

Yingchun was separated from him by a room, so logically he couldn't control Yingchun's place, but he couldn't watch her being sold by Jia She, and then die at a young age, right?

Bao Cong can't change her character, nor can she change her parents. She can only find a way to change her husband's family.The minimum requirement is for her to live a safe life in the future.

But in this world, it's hard to find a good man, and it's even harder to find a good husband.

It is very easy to find a good young talent, but his mother is difficult to take care of, or his sister-in-law is difficult to take care of... It is a good relationship for other people, but Yingchun is too easy to be secretly bullied. After all, she has a The difficult father caused trouble.

Bao Cong was worried, when Chen Ping came in with a letter, saying that Liu Xianglian had come to Beijing, and he wanted to invite him to dinner and get together!

Liu Xianglian——No father or mother, wandering around, no sisters and no servants...

No fame, but rich, not business status...

Excellent character and Yushu Lingfeng......

The key is that they are still in business partnership, and their relationship is pretty good...

Well, what a brother-in-law!